"It's not a time to socialize": When Chase Elliott shared life lessons from his father at the racetrack that shaped his focus

Back in 2014, Chase Elliott touched upon how his father, Bill Elliott, helped him shape his focus at the racetrack. Speaking to Jeff Gluck of USA Today, the Hendrick Motorsports driver revealed the life lesson he received from Elliott Sr. when he was just eight-years-old.

Elliott Jr. sat with Gluck a decade ago to answer the customary 12 questions. In one of the questions, Gluck asked Elliott how he vented his frustration after having a bad day, and if he vented them to his father.

Answering the question, the HMS driver shared a story from when he was eight, and was driving in go-karts. Here's what he said:

"I don't usually socialize a ton with other people when I'm at the racetrack. I'll never forget this: When I was about 8 years old, we were racing go-karts and I was out throwing a football around with some other drivers at the racetrack."

Elliot then recalled how his father helped him shape his focus:

"My dad was like, "Hey, I'm not mad at you — if you want to do that stuff, then do it — but when we're at the racetrack, be at the racetrack. It's not a time to socialize or get your mind too far off what you're doing."

Bill Elliott is a respectable name in the NASCAR fraternity. A champion of the 1988 Winston Cup Series, Elliott Sr. featured in 828 races in over 37 years. In nearly four decades in the Cup Series, Elliott Sr. etched 44 Cup Series wins, 55 pole positions and 320 top 10s.

The 'Awesome Bill from Dawsonville' is also the driver with the highest number of NASCAR Most Popular Driver Awards. He won the title a record 16 times. Interestingly, his son, Chase Elliott, is currently the Most Popular Driver award holder and has taken the title seven times already.

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Chase Elliott shared the favorite part of being a racing driver

In the conversation with Jeff Gluck of USA Today, Chase Elliott also revealed his favorite part of being a NASCAR driver. When asked about the same, here's what Elliott said:

"Well, the racing part is my favorite part. I guess that's pretty straightforward. I race because I love the sport and I'm a big fan of it more than anything. Even when I'm not racing, I try not to miss watching a race each weekend. It's cool to be able to not only do what you love, but do what you like watching."

Chase Elliott completed his 10th year in NASCAR in 2024. In a decade of racing in the top tier of stock car racing, the #9 driver has racked up 322 races, a championship (2020), 19 wins, 12 pole positions, and 171 top 10s.

Chase Elliott (9) during the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.

The 29-year-old finished his 2024 season in seventh place, behind his Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Kyle Larson. With a victory, 11 top fives, and 19 top 10s, Elliott amassed 2342 points after 36 races. In 2025, he will continue racing for HMS, driving the #9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 alongside existing teammates, Larson, William Byron, and Alex Bowman.