Chase Elliott’s close friend ditches him and picks his HMS teammate instead as favorite to win the NASCAR Cup Series

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott was recently omitted as the favorite to win the Cup Series championship by Chipper Jones. The former Atlanta Braves third baseman instead chose Elliott's Hendrick teammates as his top contenders for the 2024 title.

Following the announcement of Bristol Motor Speedway hosting the "MLB Speedway Classic," a Major League Baseball regular season game, National Baseball Hall of Famer Chipper Jones recently spoke with Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass. Jones was asked if the 2020 Cup Series champion Elliott is his favorite to win the 2024 title. Here's what Jones said in response:

"I definitely like the guys in the Hendrick stable. I think somebody's going to come through. Obviously, up to this point, [Kyle] Larson's been the guy, but William Byron can win any race on the circuit as well as anybody else in that stable. I think most of us who follow the sport would probably put Larson in the driver's seat up to this point."

Elaborating on his friendship with Elliott, the 2008 MLB batting champion expressed his closeness to 28-year-old Elliott and revealed his longstanding admiration for Hendrick Motorsports, dating back to NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon's era.

"I'm a huge Chase fan. He's a big Braves fan. We've been buddies for a long time. I go to races. He goes to Braves games. We kind of scratch each other's backs. I'm a huge fan. I was a huge fan of Jeff Gordon and all the guys at Hendrick Motorsports," the 52-year-old said.

Jones also had the opportunity to ride along with Elliott in the #9 Chevy during the announcement of the MLB Speedway Classic, where the Atlanta Braves will face the Cincinnati Reds on August 2, 2025, at Bristol Motor Speedway.

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Chase Elliott sheds light on the first-of-its-kind MLB game on a racetrack

NASCAR's Most Popular Driver, Chase Elliott, shared his take on the historic game between Atlanta Braves and Cincinnati Reds in a recent media interaction.

Speaking with Bob Pockrass, Elliott said,

"I'm a Braves fan like everybody else. Just to have a small part in this and be able to help promote it is a really cool honor for me for just growing up around watching them. ... I guarantee whoever is here is going to have a really great experience."

"This is one of the best facilities we come to on a yearly basis. I think everybody in the industry would tell you the same thing. It'll suit the needs for everybody involved, from the MLB to the Braves to the Reds very well. It'll be a good event," he added.

Currently, Elliott is preparing for the remaining three regular-season Cup Series races. The #9 driver is at P3 in the overall points table with one win and seven top-five finishes in 23 starts. #5 Kyle Larson leads the table with four wins and nine top-five finishes.