"There was no sadness" - Chase Elliott shares why he chose to give tribute to NASCAR legend after Texas win

Texas Cup race winner Chase Elliott recently shed light on the reasoning behind his celebration and tribute to the late great Alan Kulwicki.

Hendrick Motorsports ace and former NASCAR champion Elliott finally brought an end to his winless streak. On April 15, the 28-year-old drove to a memorable victory in the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive Cup Series race at Texas Motor Speedway, clinching his first win after 42 races.

Elliott's celebration took on added meaning as he performed the revered "Polish victory lap," a tradition famously associated with Kulwicki, who introduced the unique gesture to NASCAR victory lane.

Reflecting on his decision to pay homage to Kulwicki, Elliott shared his admiration for the late champion and the profound impact he had on the sport. Chase Elliott appeared on the latest episode of the Dirty Mo Media podcast and said:

"When I looked back at the photos of his championship there at Atlanta, he beat Dad by a very small margin. And the photos of dad and him always struck me as being a little different."

"Because dad has this very genuine smile on his face in victory lane as he was congratulating him. And he just lost the championship. There was like, no sadness or frustration. He was seemingly very excited for Alan," he added.

Elliott continued:

"That to me has always told me a lot about Alan just in a one single photo. And beyond that, I've always heard good things and thought it'll be really cool to do that."

---

What did Chase Elliott say of Alan Kulwicki after winning the Texas race?

Alan Kulwicki was the last driver to win a race with Hooters as their primary sponsor.

Breaking what was known as the "Hooters' curse," Chase Elliott expressed gratitude for the partnership and the opportunity to pay homage to Kulwicki in the iconic Hooters colors.

Elliott said after the race (via Speedway Digest):

"Hooter’s has been a great partner of ours for a number of years now, and it’s been a dream to pay respect to Alan Kulwicki, do a Polish victory lap in the Hooter’s colors. That’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time."

The win in Texas was Chase Elliott's first NASCAR victory since Talladega in 2022. The Hendrick Motorsports driver suffered a dismal 2023 campaign which saw him miss races due to a leg injury and fail to qualify for playoffs.

After nine races in the ongoing NASCAR season, Elliott is ranked fourth in the Cup Series standings, with 303 points and three top-5 finishes.