@nascarcasm: Nine things you may not know about Chase Elliott
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He's a NASCAR Cup Series champion, a multi-time race winner and arguably the most popular driver in the sport right now. Is there anything you don't know about Chase Elliott at this point? Probably not. But if you're new to NASCAR, hopefully you learn something.
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THAT'S NOT HIS REAL NAME: "Chase" is a nickname. His actual full legal name is William Clyde Elliott II. We could theoretically be calling him "Willy Clyde," "Bill C." or "Junior Willy." While "Chase Elliott" works tremendously, any of those would have worked.
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HE CAN FLY A PLANE: Chase not only picked up a love of racing from his father, Bill Elliott, but also an affinity for aviation. Chase is able to fly himself to and from races as he pleases. Anyone who has been delayed on a flight because the pilots had not arrived yet understands why this is an incredible idea. Imagine not having to wait on anyone.
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HE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF HANGING OUT WITH DALE EARNHARDT SR.: He may be too young to even remember it, but what a memory to have. Or not have. Whatever. Literally sitting in the lap of greatness.
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HE CLINCHED BOTH OF HIS CAREER CHAMPIONSHIPS AT PHOENIX RACEWAY: Chase is the 2014 Xfinity Series champion and the 2020 Cup Series champion. So how'd he clinch both at Phoenix Raceway? Follow along. In 2014, the Xfinity Series had yet to adopt the elimination-style playoff format. Phoenix was the penultimate race of that season, and Chase finished the race with a 53-point lead over second place -- enough to clinch the championship before even setting foot in Homestead-Miami Speedway, which was the final race of the year. Fast forward to the Cup Series in 2020 -- Chase triumphed in the Championship race at, you guessed it, Phoenix Raceway.
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HE HAS IMPECCABLE TASTE IN CINEMA: A man of discerning taste when it comes to film -- he appreciates the classics. If you haven't seen "Fletch," please do before another inevitable reboot comes out.
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HE'S DRIVEN THREE DIFFERENT NUMBERS IN THE CUP SERIES: His first number in the Cup Series was actually 25. He drove five Cup Series races in 2015 with this number before moving to the No. 24 in 2016, replacing Jeff Gordon. It wasn't until 2018 that he switched to the No. 9 -- the car number for which his father was known and he won his NXS title in. If you're a very dedicated Chase Elliott fan, that's a lot of tattoos you've had to get.
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HE SET OFF AN AMAZING CHAMPIONSHIP RUN FOR THE STATE OF GEORGIA: Chase's championship seemed to set off an unprecedented era of sports dominance for the Peach State. He brought it home in 2020. Then, in 2021, the Atlanta Braves won the World Series. Then the Georgia Bulldogs -- Chase's favorite college football team -- won the NCAA Championship back to back in 2021 and '22. Then the Atlanta Falcons … OK nevermind.
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HE'S CONTINUING A LEGACY OF POPULARITY FOR THE LAST NAMES PICTURED IN THIS PHOTO: Since 1984, drivers with a last name of Earnhardt or Elliott have won every Most Popular Driver Award except two, which went to Darrell Waltrip. They're like hoarders -- Most Popular Driver awards just scattered all over their houses.
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HE ONCE WON A RACE WITHOUT LEADING A LAP: The year was 2022 at Pocono Raceway. Denny Hamlin finished first, with Kyle Busch in second and Chase Elliott a distant third. BUT PLOT TWIST -- Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch were disqualified after post-race inspection, handing Chase Elliott the win. Not often a guy wins a race while on his way home from said race, but Chase is just that good.