"Dude is fast" - When Bubba Wallace almost made an eerily accurate Chase Elliott prediction

In 2016, Bubba Wallace almost made an accurate prediction about Chase Elliott's success in the NASCAR Cup Series, nearly predicting the year in which Elliott would become a champion at the highest echelon of stock car racing. Wallace predicted Elliott to win the title in 2021, but the star Hendrick Motorsports driver achieved the feat in 2020.

In a 2016 interview with Jeff Gluck, Wallace was asked to name a driver who could win the Cup Series title five years down the line, in 2021. Trying to predict the future champion of the sport, Wallace said that Elliott could become a force to be reckoned with. Notably, Elliott had the most successful junior career among his contemporaries, as he had won the Xfinity title in his rookie season (2014), and finished second the following year.

Bubba Wallace, who was then driving for Roush Fenway Racing in the Xfinity Series, also praised Chase Elliott's impressive speed in his rookie campaign. He suggested the then #24 Hendrick Motorsports driver was capable of winning the title in his rookie season. Elliott won the pole position for the Daytona 500 and advanced into the playoffs in his rookie year.

"Who will win the Sprint Cup in 2021?" Jeff Gluck asked Wallace.

"Who will win the Cup? Me. Although the way Chase (Elliott) is running, he’ll probably win it. Heck, he’ll probably win it this year. Dude is fast," Wallace said (via USA Today)

Chase Elliott put together an impressive rookie campaign in 2016, finishing 10th in the standings with 10 top-5 finishes and also winning the pole position for the Daytona 500. Although Elliott had to wait until 2018 for his first Cup Series victory, he went on to win the championship in 2020.

Kyle Larson joined Elliott at Hendrick Motorsports in 2021 and won the championship that season with a 10-win campaign.

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Exploring Chase Elliott's rookie season in the Cup Series

Chase Elliott won the Xfinity title in 2014, driving the #9 JR Motorsports Chevy. He finished second to Chris Buescher in the 2015 Xfinity championship while also making five Cup starts in the #25 Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports. Following Jeff Gordon's retirement, Elliott took over the #24 HMS team in 2016.

Elliott kicked off the season on a strong note, winning the pole position for the Daytona 500. In the process, he became the youngest pole winner at the age of 20. He collected his first top-10 finish the following weekend in Atlanta and his first top-five finish at Texas Motor Speedway.

Chase Elliott in 2016 - (Source: Imagn)

Chase Elliott qualified for the playoffs in 2016, along with rookie Chris Buescher. The two drivers joined Denny Hamlin on the list of rookies to qualify for the Cup Series postseason. Elliott was eliminated after the Round of 12 but managed to finish 10th in the standings and won Rookie of the Year honors.

In 2018, Elliott's team was rebranded as the #9, a number associated with his dad, Bill Elliott. He secured his maiden Cup win at Watkins Glen that season and capped off the year with additional wins at Dover and Kansas. He had to wait until 2020 to win his maiden championship.