What is the fastest lap ever recorded in NASCAR? Exploring the testament to Chase Elliott's father Bill's undisputed heritage

The speed of the cars varies from track to track, but the fastest lap was recorded by NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott's father, Bill in 44.998 seconds at 212.808 mph. His fastest stock car racing lap at Talladega Superspeedway in 1987 is still untouched by any driver.

Bill is a retired professional race car driver and has had a successful career. During his 37-year stint in the Cup Series, he secured a championship title in 1988, two Daytona 500s, three Southern 500s, one Winston 500, and one Brickyard 400 win. Additionally, he secured 44 Cup Series wins, 320 top-ten finishes, and 55 pole positions.

Before recording the fastest lap in stock car history, Bill recorded a dominating lap at the Daytona 500 in 1987. He led over half the race and set a new record for the fastest lap at 210.364 mph. Then three months later he registered the fastest lap in the sport's history.

Chase Elliott's father drove the #9 Ford Thunderbird. It weighed around 3,700 pounds and had a 351 cubic-inch Ford V8 engine making around 625 horsepower. His brother Ernie built it specially for the 1987 season to break records. He set the record during the qualifying lap of the Winston 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway.

Bill reached a top speed of 212.808 mph and completed a lap in just 44.998 seconds, and his car won the 'World's Fastest Race Car' title. Even after decades, the record is unbeatable as the Stock Car Racing Association implemented restrictor plates in the 1988 season.

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Chase Elliott on his memories of racing against his father

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott and his father competed against each other during the 2021 SRX Series finale at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. The father-son duo are multi-time Most Popular Driver Award winners and won the Cup Series championship title once. The iconic duo faced each other for the first time in 2013 at the South Alabama Speedway.

Recalling his race with his father, Elliott wrote in July 2021:

"I got to compete in the last SRX race of the season, and even better I got to do it with my dad. I made memories I'll cherish forever."

Elliott began racing on the 0.6-mile racetrack when he was 13 and won his first race in 2013 at the Alabama Pro 125 Late Model race. Meanwhile, his father Bill had ample experience on the track as he secured a top-10 finish in seven races at the Nashville Speedway.