5 interesting facts about Chase Elliott that you should know

Chase Elliott has become one of NASCAR's prominent faces with his esteemed racing career and multiple Most Popular Driver awards. However, there's more to Elliott that some fans may not know about, including facts about him outside racing.

Elliott is a 29-year-old NASCAR Cup Series driver piloting the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro for Hendrick Motorsports. He holds a record of 19 career victories and one championship (2020) in the premier series.

To know more about the Dawsonville native, let's check out five interesting facts about him.

Chase Elliott is the son of Bill Elliott

Father and son duos are not new in the world of NASCAR, and the Elliotts are part of the club. Like Chase, his father Bill is a multi-time race winner and a Cup Series title holder, which he won in 1988 driving for the now-discontinued Melling Racing.

Bill Elliott (left) and Chase Elliott (right) - Source: Imagn

Notably, Chase and Bill are multi-time Most Popular Driver awardees. They join the other father-son duos who won the award including the Earnhardts (Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr.) and the Pettys (Lee Petty and Richard Petty).

Chase is not his real name

The HMS star may have made a mark in the racing scene as "Chase," but that is just a nickname. Named after his father, his government name is William Clyde Elliott II.

He got the name "Chase" after a family friend thought William Clyde didn't suit him. The unnamed friend then called the driver 'little fellow' Chase.

Chase Elliott had other Cup racing numbers than #9

The No. 9 racing number may be associated with Elliott, including his father Bill, but the driver ran with other numbers in the Cup Series. He drove the No. 25 HMS Chevrolet part-time in 2015 before taking over Jeff Gordon's No. 24 car for the 2016 and 2017 seasons.

Chase Elliott won his first NASCAR race in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports car - Source: Imagn

In 2018, the Georgian switched to the No. 9 Chevy. The same season witnessed him score his first three career victories in Watkins Glen, Dover, and Kansas.

Chase Elliott dealt with injury and suspension in 2023

During the 2023 season, Chase Elliott had a snowboarding accident that sidelined him for six races. Later in the season, the No. 9 driver was handed a one-race suspension after wrecking Denny Hamlin's car at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

That year is arguably Elliott's worst season in his full-time Cup career. He was winless for the first time since 2017.

Chase Elliott has a pilot license

Like his father, Chase Elliott is enthusiastic about aviation, so much so that he flies his own planes. He said Bill influenced him growing up to get his pilot license.

Aside from the thrill of flying, Elliott once explained that getting a pilot license was a way to supplement the lack of a college education. The driver got out of high school to focus on his racing career. So far, he has proven to be a strong championship contender in NASCAR.