Sports
Chase Elliott Under Fire as His Entitled Career Sees Him Sway Away FromNASCAR Family Responsibilities
Chase Elliott Under Fire as His Entitled Career Sees Him Sway Away FromNASCAR Family Responsibilities
Full Speed TV series on Netflix has garnered a lot of attention and praise since the release of its first season. But it did seem amiss without one of the sport’s most famed professionals, Chase Elliott. He was a major absentee and while he was not part of the playoffs last year, a big name like that would always help with the viewership. Unfortunately, the Hendrick Motorsports driver currently wants nothing to do with the show and has voiced his priorities.
His words have received mixed reactions. Among these, the spotters on the Door Bumper Clear podcast were not thrilled. As per Freddie Kraft and Brett Griffin, taking part in such non-racing activities would only help the sport become more popular in the eyes of the world. So, Elliott, taking a step back from such responsibilities, was seen as nothing but an act of selfishness.
Not everyone seems satisfied with Chase Elliott’s reason to stay away
Chase Elliott had said that the reason he did not want to go through with the show was to focus on his racing solely. It has been a tough couple of seasons for the driver of the #9 car and the only thing he wanted to concentrate on was getting back to the level at which he used to perform. It’s understandable from a competitor’s standpoint, but here’s the thing, every driver has that mentality and they go out and do all this stuff, anyway.
Along similar lines, the hosts of the show Door Bumper Clear discussed the issue of Elliott’s non-participation and the reasoning behind it. But, Kraft strongly put forth the narrative of how the game is bigger than the player and the reason he did not seem satisfied with Chase Elliott’s answer. “I completely understand what Chase is saying, but that is not how this game is played. I promise you every driver in the field would like to just solely focus on going fast and solely focus on whatever is gonna make them a better race car driver.”
“But there’s a while other side to this and that is the business side of this motorsports and you can’t just rely on ‘I’m not gonna do that because it’s gonna slow me down on the race track,” Freddie Kraft opined.
His sentiments were shared by Brett Griffin, who invoked legendary race car driver Jeff Burton to drive home his point about doing whatever possible to make the sport grow.
A lot of drivers will relate to what Chase Elliott said, but as far as the spotter is concerned, there is a lot more to NASCAR than just driving race cars and competing for wins. Griffin said that the Hendrick Motorsports star’s comments made it sound like he did not care about the development of the sport.
“Jeff Burton told me all the time, ‘you’re supposed to leave the sport better than you found it, you’re supposed to do things to help grow the sport, you’re supposed to do things to help engage with fans, engage with sponsors.’ So when he (Elliott) says that it’s like selfishly, he doesn’t care. And I know that’s probably not the case,” he said.
“But at the same time, it’s a lot of work to do what Denny Hamlin did and what all these people in his world do. Denny Hamlin doesn’t have a championship, but he’s a Hall of Fame driver in my mind. And he’s running a company, and he gets the big picture. I don’t know that Chase has to care.”
Do you think Elliott’s reluctance to be a part of the NASCAR: Full Speed Netflix series is a sign of his careless attitude toward the sport or do you also believe that getting back on the track in the optimum form as a racer takes the driver’s seat currently? Let us know your thoughts.
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![Inspiredlovers Untitled-design-15-1-42-400x240 “Karma Caught Up With Ross [Chastain]”: Chase Elliott Avenging Kyle Sports Chase Elliott](https://inspiredlovers.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Untitled-design-15-1-42-400x240.webp "Inspiredlovers Untitled-design-15-1-42-400x240 “Karma Caught Up With Ross [Chastain]”: Chase Elliott Avenging Kyle Sports Chase Elliott")
![Inspiredlovers Untitled-design-15-1-42-80x80 “Karma Caught Up With Ross [Chastain]”: Chase Elliott Avenging Kyle Sports Chase Elliott](https://inspiredlovers.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Untitled-design-15-1-42-80x80.webp "Inspiredlovers Untitled-design-15-1-42-80x80 “Karma Caught Up With Ross [Chastain]”: Chase Elliott Avenging Kyle Sports Chase Elliott")
A former Ferrari engineer has criticised the decision to bring in Lewis Hamilton and thinks the Brit’s presence will mean “a lot of potential for drama”.
At the age of 40, seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton will form a formidable driver partnership with Charles Leclerc. His big switch comes at the expense of Carlos Sainz, who has performed well for the Italian squad but who was axed so they had room for their blockbuster new signing.
But not everyone of a Ferrari persuasion is convinced that it will go well. Ernest Knoors, who spent many years as an engineer at Maranello, specialising in power units, worries that Hamilton’s presence could do more harm than good for a team that is finding its groove under Frederic Vasseur.
“A big name like Hamilton also brings a lot of politics and if politics within Ferrari are not managed well, then there is a lot of potential for drama,” he told Formule1.nl. “Hamilton has the tendency that if things do not work out, he turns his whole car upside down and starts experimenting.
“Ferrari believes very much in the big personalities and will follow him. But Hamilton is just someone you have to guide a little bit and not give the freedom to rebuild the whole car, because then it will go completely wrong. So I do not know if it is such a smart move, but of course it is nice for the sport.”
News of Hamilton’s planned move broke on February 1, coinciding with football’s Transfer Deadline Day. That the back pages of many newspapers were dominated by the decision of Hamilton to swap Mercedes for Ferrari was testament to the magnitude of the announcement.
Sainz was not surprised as he had been informed by his team of the plan ahead of it being made public. But the Spaniard responded well with two victories to date this season and five further appearances on the podium, on the way to what looks likely to be a fifth-placed finish in the championship – two spots and 54 points ahead of Hamilton.
Sainz has signed for Williams next year and, after several years of running at the front of the grid, will focus on his new challenge of helping restore one of the grid’s most historic teams to its former glory. But Knoors believes he should have been kept on by Ferrari instead.
The Dutchman added: “I see Lewis Hamilton’s arrival at Ferrari more as a PR move. With all due respect, Hamilton is not going to take that Ferrari from P6 to P1. He will get the most out of it, but what Ferrari has to do is make that car faster. And if you make that car faster, you can easily drive at the front with the current line-up.
“Besides, as a team you have to look further on the horizon. If Hamilton becomes champion in the coming years, he and Ferrari will become immortal. But if you want to build a team with talent for the next five years, are you going to build on Hamilton? No, because he will really be finished after two or three years. That is why I would have kept the very strong line-up that Ferrari has now.”
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Chase Elliott had a front-row seat for one of NASCAR’s most bizarre moments of the 2024 Cup Series season. At the start of Stage 2, the pace car dove onto pit road in front of Elliott; however, it was a tad too late. The pace car made contact with the sand barrels at the entry of pit road and caused a red flag for cleanup.
Initially, there was some speculation on the NBC Sports broadcast, even from the No. 9 team, that Elliott made contact with the pace car. Fortunately, the pace car didn’t slide across the No. 9 car’s nose, but it undoubtedly provided one of NASCAR’s craziest red flag moments in recent memory.
Below, you can listen to Elliott and the No. 9 team react to the pace car crashing into the sand barrels on pit road at Phoenix during Championship Weekend!
Reflecting on the recent retirement of 2017 NASCAR Cup Series champion Martin Truex Jr., Earnhardt didn’t mince words about the toll NASCAR takes on its drivers. Speaking candidly, the two-time Daytona 500 winner admitted that the pressure to perform every week left him feeling miserable for most of his racing career—a sentiment he believes is shared by many of his peers.
“Right or wrong, racing made me a miserable person 90% of the time,” Earnhardt confessed. “And him too. I mean, ask Kyle Busch, ask anybody—unless you’re winning, you’re not happy.”
For these elite drivers, the sport is a relentless grind. A podium finish might bring temporary relief, but anything short of victory is often a source of frustration. The immense effort poured into preparation and execution rarely feels like it pays off unless the checkered flag is theirs.
Earnhardt highlighted the mental toll of falling short, explaining how the relentless focus on winning can overshadow the joy of simply competing. Even a solid performance feels hollow compared to the euphoria of a win.
“Unless you’re winning, you’re not happy at all,” he said. “You’re okay with a good run, but for the most part, all the effort it takes just to run good—it doesn’t weigh out.”
For drivers, the stakes are sky-high every week. Sponsors, fans, and teams demand nothing less than excellence, leaving little room for error or personal satisfaction in anything less than a dominant performance.
Earnhardt also shared insights into his friendship with Martin Truex Jr., who recently announced his retirement. While the two often spend time hunting together during NASCAR’s off-season, Earnhardt noted that the stress of racing even creeps into their leisure activities.
“When I’m with him during hunting season, it’s always in the back of his mind,” Earnhardt said. “It’s that stressful part of the year when he’s as miserable as he’s going to be.”
Now, with Truex stepping away from the track, Earnhardt looks forward to seeing a lighter, happier version of his long-time friend. Without the weight of weekly competition hanging over him, Truex might finally be able to relax and enjoy the outdoor lifestyle he cherishes.
“It’ll be fun to see him loosen up,” Earnhardt added.
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