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Hendrick Motorsports vice chairman Jeff Gordon shared a light-hearted pun on Chase Elliott's "elusive" personality following the latter's recent win in Texas.
2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott finally brought an end to his winless streak on Sunday. Competing in the NASCAR Cup Series AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive race at Texas Motor Speedway, the 28-year-old driver clinched his first victory after 42 races.
Following the race, a video of Hendrick vice president Jeff Gordon was shared by the team on its Instagram handle, where he was quizzed about who he thinks among the HMS drivers leads a "double life."
Gordon answered:
"It's got to be Chase Elliott because he's so elusive. I don't know what he does in Dawsonville when he's at home, but he's just one of those very quiet guys. He's going to say no, he's so simple, there's nothing to it, but we all are speculating. What's going on there when Elliott isn't at the track?"
Despite his status as a superstar driver and a six-time recipient of NASCAR's Most Popular Driver award, Elliott indeed remains a figure of mystery outside the racetrack.
Chase Elliott reveals the close-knit bond with No. 9 team that pushed him to victory
Elliott's victory on Sunday, which came after a winless and dreadful 2023 campaign, was of significant importance for the entire No. 9 HMS team. Speaking to the media after the race, the 28-year-old driver emphasized the unity and resilience within the team. He revealed (via Motorsport.com):
"I’ve just been really proud of our group for sticking together because I’m sure a lot of you guys have been around the sport long enough to understand and know that when you have a couple bad years, a period of time that things aren’t going well, it is so easy to jump ship and to start bailing out on one another."
He added:
"I think that the win’s great, all that stuff is fantastic, but I’m truthfully most proud of the journey and the group of people that we have climbed back up together with. We’ve made each other better. They push me to be a better driver and a better person."
After nine races, Chase Elliott has one win and four top-5 finishes to his name, adding up to 303 points. The former champion finds himself at fourth position in the NASCAR Cup Series standings.
