“I always admired them for it”: Chase Elliott thanks his parents for allowing him to follow his passion and make decisions for himself 

Born in a racing family, Chase Elliott has always had racing in his blood. His father, Bill Elliott, is a NASCAR legend and a Hall of Famer and his son learned a lot from him.

In a recent interview with The Pure Athlete, Chase Elliott was asked if he would allow his kids to follow in his footsteps. He stated that his parents never forced him to become a racing driver and he was always grateful that they allowed him to follow his passion.

"I think that if a kid has passion into something, I don't think you are going to, you're likely not gonna change that."

He continued:

"So, my parents always let me make that decision and make that call and I always admired them for it, and I grew up watching other parents push their kids to do things, so I've certainly seen it both ways. But I think it has to be the kids' interest."

The 2020 Champion stated that if his kid has a passion or interest in any other sport, he would fully support their decision, just like his parents supported his decision to become a NASCAR driver.

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Chase Elliott opens up about his relationship with his father

Having a dad who is a NASCAR legend can be a weight on one's shoulders. Chase Elliott has opened up about his relationship with his father. Elliott stated that his father has allowed him the freedom to make his own choices and the space to mature on his own.

According to Chase Elliott, Bill Elliott was one of those fathers who gave his children the freedom of choice and never forced anything onto them. He was one of those dads who knew his kids' likes and dislikes.

"He always gave me the choice to like, 'Hey, if you don’t wanna do this anymore, just let me know. It was never this is what we’re doing, this is what we have to do, you’re doing this because I did it,” Elliott said (via The Pure Athlete).

Chase Elliott believes that, despite learning about on-track information by himself, his father has taught him the majority of the off-track lessons, due to his years of experience.