“He does everything right”: When Chase Elliott named NASCAR champion as perfect role model for his kids

Former NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott was once featured in an interview with stock car analyst Jeff Gluck in 2014. During the interaction a decade ago, Elliott named racing legend Jimmie Johnson as a perfect role model for his kids.

Johnson debuted in the Cup Series in 2001 with Hendrick Motorsports and piloted the #48 Chevy until his retirement from full-time racing in 2020. The HMS Ace logged 83 victories, 232 top fives, 374 top tens, and 35 pole positions in 686 starts driving for HMS. He also matched the record of Richard Petty, ‘The King,’ by clinching seven Cup Series titles.

Chase Elliott also competed alongside Jimmie Johnson under Hendrick Motorsports for a few years. Reflecting on Johnson’s success and work ethic closely, Elliott wanted him to be his kids' role model. Following that, the #9 Chevy driver told Gluck (via USAtoday.com):

“Obviously, I point to Jimmie (Johnson) a lot. It's hard to not strive to be like that guy. He does everything right, you know? He's successful on and off the racetrack, and he gets the job done every week, no matter what track we're going to.”

After taking a three-year hiatus from NASCAR, Jimmie Johnson competed in the IndyCar Series, IMSA SportsCar Championship, 24 Hours of Daytona, and Le Mans 24 Hours. He then returned to the Cup Series as a part-time driver for his team, Legacy Motor Club, piloting the #84 Toyota.

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“I’m extremely proud of our whole group”: Chase Elliott expressed his feelings after his team clinched the MVP pit crew title

After wrapping the 2025 Cup Series season, Mechanix Wear named Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott’s #9 crew team the Most Valuable Pit Crew of the season. Later, during an interview, Elliott praised his team for their efforts and for delivering a remarkable performance when he needed it the most.

The Mechanix Wear evaluates the performance of the pit crew, following a playoff-based metric system. The system considers factors like pit stop speed, positions gained or lost during the stop, and the strength of the crew. The #9 Chevy team excelled in all the factors with exceptional performance in the postseason.

The team’s efforts kept Chase Elliott in the Championship contention. Reflecting on that, the #9 Chevy Camaro ZL1 driver appreciated his team and told the press (via HendrickMotorsports.com):

“I’m extremely proud of our whole group. They did an exceptional job all year, and I’ve touched on how impressed I was at Phoenix and the drive to want to continue to work hard and lay it all out there, even though we weren’t in the playoffs." "They just had an incredible performance on pit road and an amazing way to cap off the season. I’m extremely grateful for their attitudes, their approach, how they pick me up when I’m down, or whatever it takes; they’re willing to rise to the occasion," he added.

Chase Elliott competed in three playoff rounds this season but failed to land a seat in the Championship 4 race. Following that, Elliott wrapped the 2025 season in eighth place with 2310 points and bagged two victories at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Kansas Speedway in 36 starts.

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Edited by Karan Yadav