$12M-worth Chase Elliott makes stance clear on NASCAR Cup Series approval standards

Modified Mar 16, 2025 21:33 GMT

NASCAR: Cup Practice and Qualifying - Source: Imagn

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott recently gave his thoughts on NASCAR's approval process in allowing certain drivers to race in the Cup Series. The 2020 Cup Series champion believes any driver who desires to compete in a Cup race needs to be ready to compete at the sport's highest level.

Elliott's comments were brought to light by FOX motorsports reporter Bob Pockrass. The racing insider took to X with a clip from his interview with the driver of the #9, writing:

"Chase Elliott said he hasn't given much thought to the Cup approval process but feels that drivers must be ready to compete at the highest level of stock-car racing to be approved. @NASCARONFOX"

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Despite never competing in a NASCAR Cup Series event, Katherine Legge made her Cup debut in the #78 car in last Sunday's Shriners Children's 500 at Phoenix. However, it was a rough race for Legge as she spun out on lap five and later crashed out of the event. She had only competed in five Xfinity Series races prior to Sunday as her only NASCAR experience.

When asked about NASCAR approval process in allowing drivers to compete, Elliott, who is worth $12 million (via Celebrity Net Worth), doesn't have an issue with Legge getting behind the wheel. However, the Dawsonville, Georgia native believes NASCAR needs to be sure every driver in the field is ready.

"Just my quick thoughts as they come to me right now are, this is the pinnacle of NASCAR, right? This is supposed to be the very top tier of what NASCAR has to offer within their sport and within this discipline, so I do think we need to make sure everyone is ready to go. I'm not saying that particular situation was or wasn't. ... This is not me saying I don't welcome these things or anything like that. I do, absolutely. We certainly just want to make sure everyone is geared up and ready for a race on Sunday," Chase Elliott said. (0:12 onwards)

Four-time Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves was approved to race in this year's Daytona 500. However, former NASCAR driver Mike Wallace was not allowed to race in the event due to inactivity.

Chase Elliott seeking second Cup championship in 2025

Chase Elliott captured his first career Cup Series championship back in 2020. Now, the driver of the #9 Hendrick Motorsports will look to join Joey Logano and Kyle Busch as the only active multi-time Cup champions this season.

Elliott snapped a 42-race winless drought last year at the Texas Motor Speedway, his sole win of the 2024 campaign. He made it all the way to the Round of 8 of the playoffs, ultimately finishing seventh in the points standings.

Aside from 2023, Elliott has made the playoffs in every season he's been in the Cup Series.

About the author

John Breeden is a NASCAR content writer at Sportskeeda with over three years of sports journalism experience. His career began back in 2021, when he started writing for The Breeze - a student-run publication at James Madison University that covered a wide variety of collegiate sports. He graduated from JMU in May 2022 with a degree in media arts and design concentrating in journalism. He currently writes for his local publication, the Daily News-Record, in Harrisonburg, VA, where he covers a variety of sports at the high school and collegiate level.

John has been a lifelong NASCAR fan and has followed the sport closely since 2005. He stays informed on motorsports developments through social media, NASCAR.com, and NASCAR podcasts, which help him craft unique and engaging stories. Interviewing Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon at Martinsville Speedway was a career highlight for John, where he wrote about William Byron taking the famed No. 24 car back to the Championship 4.

Beyond motorsports, John enjoys writing about other sports such as football, baseball, and basketball. He believes that NASCAR could reach the global popularity of Formula 1 by expanding its audience with more international races and enhancing its mainstream appeal, just like F1 has done.

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Edited by Tushar Bahl