"I never pushed him into this": When Bill Elliott shared his thoughts on Chase Elliott's racing career

Chase Elliott is the son of revered NASCAR figure Bill Elliott; the father-son duo is the third different pair to have won a NASCAR Cup Series title. While many might reckon that the former driver would have pushed his son into the sport, owing to his established legacy, the 1988 champion claimed otherwise, as he shared in 2017.

Bill made his debut in the premier league of stock car racing in the United States in 1975 and moved to full-time racing in 1983. He soon went on to win races and claim his sole Winston Cup Series title in 1988.

A few years later, in 1995, Chase was born, who often accompanied his father on racetracks. This laid down his love for racing, as he went on to follow in his father's footsteps and joined the Cup Series field four decades after the 69-year-old's debut.

With racing running in his bloodline, many reckoned that Bill might have urged Chase to join racing himself. However, the former racecar driver stated in 2017 to FOX Sports that he encouraged his son to do whatever he wanted to do, as he never forced his child to pick up racing:

"I wanted him to be whatever he wanted to be. I never pushed him into this. He always seemed like this is what he wanted to do. I just supported him in what he felt like he needs to do. But it's his life. He needs to do what he wants to do."

Chase Elliott went on to win the 2020 Cup Series title with Hendrick Motorsports, leading to a rave going down in the Elliott family.

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Chase Elliott once shared the impact that his mother has had on him

Chase Elliott (L), his mother Cindy Elliott, and father Bill Elliott (R) in 2013 - Source: Imagn

While having a father in the form of Bill Elliott gave Chase Elliott a strong mentor in his pursuit of making it to the Cup Series, other members of his family also played a crucial role. The 29-year-old praised his mother for being there for him and having almost an equal impact on his father's racing career.

Elliott said in the CHASE documentary in 2021, via Hendrick Motorsports:

"Obviously, everyone likes to talk about Dad from his racing career, but my mom has had just a large of an impact and has put in a lot of work, too. I feel like the biggest thing with her is she is always setting a good example at the end of the day for me. She always just wants to make sure your heart and head are in the right place, and that’s kind of always been the case."

Meanwhile, Elliott has continued with Hendrick Motorsports ever since his 2020 championship victory.