For most, it's hard to believe a young boy would know his life's plan at 12 years old. It becomes easy to believe once you realize that boy is 12-year-old Chase Elliott, son of NASCAR champion Bill Elliott.

Wise beyond his maturity level, Chase already has his own championship. He speaks in sound bites like an experienced Cup driver and has secured a popular full-time sponsor for next season.

He's a young replicate of his father.

A young Chase peeks into his dad's car back when Bill was racing full time.

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I've been around the sport since I was born. I'd rather not do anything else. I want to be with my dad and be a part of the tradition.

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CHASE ELLIOTT

"Chase wants to be everything that Bill is and more," said Cindy Elliott, Chase's mother. "They are basically inseparable. Bill has truly been Chase's hero since he was a little boy."

Cindy said it's a unique father-and-son bond formed when Chase was an infant and Bill was recovering from a major injury sustained during the 1996 wreck at Talladega Superspeedway. The back end of Elliott's car went in the air and landed violently on its wheels. Elliott suffered a fractured femur and was forced to sit out of several races during the season.

"When Bill got hurt, he was laid up on the couch a lot," Cindy said. "Chase was only 4 or 5 months old and would sleep on Bill's chest for hours. I knew they were fine and I could get things done around the house. I think it was here that they bonded, because once Bill was better he insisted on taking Chase everywhere he went."

Including the racetrack, Cindy said.

And it was at a racetrack that Chase realized his plan to follow his father's footsteps. Of course his mother says Chase has wanted to be a racecar driver "since he could talk" and he would tell you himself.

But his memory of the 2002 Allstate 400 at the Brickyard cemented the dream.

"That was they year my dad won the race, I was 7 years old. It's was awesome. We kissed the bricks and I remember it was really hot that day," Chase said.

The following year he began racing at various dirt tracks across his home state of Georgia.

By 2006, Chase entered the Colorado Sprint Championship Series in both the Mini Mix and the 80cc Novice Shifter Kart divisions for his first full season of racing. He won the championship in the Mini Max in both 2006 and 2007. (Continued)