Career Timeline of Chase Elliott: Major Achievements and Milestones

Discover the career path of Chase Elliott, from the first major opportunity to industry-changing achievements.

Chase Elliott is an American professional stock car racing driver currently competing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series for Hendrick Motorsports. Driving the No. 9 Chevrolet ZL1, he is a prominent figure in the sport. Elliott also participates part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. Notably, he secured the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series championship, achieving the distinction of being the first rookie and youngest driver ever to win a national series championship in NASCAR.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2006: Denny Hamlin Qualified for Chase

Denny Hamlin qualified for the Chase

2010: Competed in 40 Races, Winning 12

In 2010, Elliott competed in 40 races across various series, winning 12 events and finishing in the top ten 38 times.

2011: Competed in NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Race

In 2011, Elliott competed in one NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Phoenix Raceway and finished third.

2012: Competed in Two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Races

In 2012, Chase Elliott competed in two NASCAR K&N Pro Series West races. He placed 17th in one race due to a crash and fourth in the other.

2012: Won Alan Turner Snowflake 100

In 2012, Chase Elliott won the Alan Turner Snowflake 100, the Snowball Derby's prelude race, for the second time in three years.

2012: Competed in ARCA Racing Series Races

In 2012, Elliott competed in six ARCA Racing Series races, driving the No. 9 car to gain experience on larger circuits.

2012: Competed in K&N Pro Series East

In 2012, Elliott competed in the K&N Pro Series East, driving the No. 9 car and finishing ninth in the season standings. He returned to the series later that year and secured his first career victory at Iowa Speedway, ultimately finishing fourth in the championship standings.

January 2013: Announced to compete in NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series

In January 2013, it was announced that Elliott would compete in nine NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races for Hendrick Motorsports, using trucks prepared by Turner Scott Motorsports. During qualifying for the UNOH 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway, Elliott earned his first career NASCAR pole position.

June 8, 2013: Youngest Winner in ARCA Superspeedway History

On June 8, 2013, Elliott became the youngest winner in ARCA superspeedway history at Pocono Raceway.

November 2013: Won All American 400

In November 2013, Elliott won the All American 400, becoming the first driver to capture all four of the nation's premier short-track races: the All American 400, the Snowball Derby, the World Crown 300, and the Winchester 400.

2013: Late Model Race at South Alabama Speedway

In 2013, Chase Elliott competed against his father, Bill Elliott, in a late model race at South Alabama Speedway, marking the first time the father-son duo raced against each other.

2013: First Truck Series Race

In 2013, Elliott participated in the Truck Series.

January 2014: Announced Full-Time Competition in Nationwide Series

In January 2014, it was announced that Elliott would compete full-time in the Nationwide Series, driving the No. 9 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports with sponsorship from NAPA Auto Parts.

April 4, 2014: First Series Win at Texas Motor Speedway

On April 4, 2014, Elliott earned his first series win at the O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 at Texas Motor Speedway.

September 2014: Cole Custer Breaks Youngest Truck Series Winner Record

In September 2014, Cole Custer broke Chase Elliott's record as the youngest winner in Truck Series history at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

2014: NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship

In 2014, Chase Elliott won the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship, becoming the first rookie and the youngest driver to win a national series championship in NASCAR history.

January 29, 2015: Sprint Cup Series Debut Announcement

On January 29, 2015, Hendrick Motorsports announced that Elliott would make his Sprint Cup Series debut that year, driving the No. 25 car. It was also revealed that Elliott would take over Jeff Gordon's No. 24 car in 2016.

May 5, 2015: Competed in Sprint All-Star Race's Sprint Showdown

On May 5, 2015, it was announced that Elliott would compete in the Sprint All-Star Race's Sprint Showdown. He finished 8th and 5th in the event's two segments.

2015: Awarded Snowball Derby Title After Disqualification

In 2015, Chase Elliott was awarded the Snowball Derby title after the original winner, Christopher Bell, was disqualified.

2015: First DNF and Victory at Richmond

In 2015, Elliott recorded the first DNF of his career after a crash at Daytona. He later secured a victory at Richmond.

September 18, 2016: Near Miss at Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400

On September 18, 2016, at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400, Chase Elliott came close to securing his first win but finished 3rd due to a late caution.

October 2016: Competed in Alpha Energy Solutions 200

In October 2016, Elliott competed in the Alpha Energy Solutions 200 at Martinsville Speedway, marking his first Truck Series race since 2013. He led a race-high 109 laps and finished second.

2016: Continued Xfinity Series Part-Time

After moving up to the Cup Series in 2016, Elliott continued to compete part-time in the Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports, winning the season-opening PowerShares QQQ 300 at Daytona.

2016: Playable Driver in Forza Motorsport 6

In 2016, Chase Elliott was featured as a playable driver in Forza Motorsport 6 via the NASCAR expansion pack, which included his No. 24 NAPA SS paint scheme. Elliott also provided commentary as one of the "voices of motorsport" and helped develop the expansion.

2016: Full-Time NASCAR Cup Series Debut & Rookie of the Year Award

In 2016, Elliott began racing full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, taking over the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. That same year, he earned the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Rookie of the Year award.

2016: Joined Sprint Cup Series full-time & Won Rookie of the Year Award

In 2016, Elliott joined the Sprint Cup Series full-time, driving the No. 24 car. That year, he won the Rookie of the Year award.

2016: Take over No. 24 Car

In 2016, Elliott took over Jeff Gordon's iconic No. 24 car.

2017: Fox NASCAR Analyst

In 2017, Chase Elliott served as a Fox NASCAR analyst for the Xfinity Series race at Atlanta.

2017: Daytona 500 Pole and Can-Am Duel Win

In 2017, Chase Elliott started the season by winning the pole for the Daytona 500 for the second consecutive year. He then won the first Can-Am Duel race, becoming the first driver since Dale Earnhardt in 1996 and only the third in NASCAR history to win both the Daytona 500 pole and a qualifying race.

2017: Voice Acting in Cars 3

In 2017, Chase Elliott voiced the character Chase Racelott in the Pixar film Cars 3.

Loading Video...

2017: Joined GMS Racing, won at Martinsville

In 2017, Elliott joined GMS Racing, driving in two races and securing a win at Martinsville.

September 7, 2018: NASCAR Heat 3 Cover Appearance

On September 7, 2018, all four 2018 Hendrick drivers, including Chase Elliott, were featured on the cover of NASCAR Heat 3.

2018: Playoff Victories and Championship Elimination

In 2018, Chase Elliott qualified for the playoffs and earned his second career victory on October 7 at Dover. He claimed another victory at Kansas later that month. He advanced to the Round of 8 but was eliminated after a late crash at Phoenix, ultimately finishing the season sixth in the points standings.

2018: First Cup Series Victory at Watkins Glen

In 2018, Chase Elliott secured his first career Cup Series victory at Watkins Glen, leading the final 33 laps. This win marked Hendrick Motorsports' 250th Cup Series win and made Elliott the youngest driver to win on a road course. Teammate Jimmie Johnson pushed Elliott's car after it ran out of fuel.

2018: Started Season at Daytona, Drove No. 23 Car

In 2018, Elliott started the season driving the No. 88 car at Daytona. After Spencer Gallagher's suspension, he drove the No. 23 car for GMS Racing in select events.

2018: Car Number Change and Daytona 500

In 2018, Hendrick Motorsports changed Chase Elliott's car number to No. 9, honoring his father, Bill Elliott. During qualifying for the Daytona 500, he posted the ninth-fastest time. He won the second Can-Am Duel, earning a spot in the second row for the Daytona 500, but his race ended early after being caught in an accident on lap 102.

2019: Victory at Talladega and Charlotte Roval

In 2019, Chase Elliott earned his first victory of the season at Talladega and later won at Watkins Glen for the second consecutive season. He secured a dramatic win at the Charlotte Roval, overcoming an earlier crash. He advanced to the Round of 8 but crashed at Phoenix.

2020: Early Season Performance

Chase Elliott started the 2020 season with a stage win at the Daytona 500 and had consecutive top-ten finishes, including a pole position at Phoenix. However, a flat tire at Las Vegas led to a 26th-place finish.

2020: NASCAR Heat 5 Cover Appearance

In 2020, Chase Elliott appeared by himself on the cover for the NASCAR Heat 5 game.

2020: Cup Series Championship Win

In 2020, Chase Elliott won the Cup Series championship in Phoenix, Arizona, marking Hendrick Motorsports' first title since 2016.

2020: NASCAR All-Star Race Victory at Bristol and Go Bowling 235 Win

In 2020, Chase Elliott won the NASCAR All-Star Race at Bristol, becoming part of the second father-son duo to win the event. A month later, he won the Go Bowling 235 on the Daytona International Speedway road course, securing his third consecutive road course win.

2020: Season Finale

In 2020, Chase Elliott's championship hopes ended at the Phoenix finale, where he finished 28th after being spun into the inside wall by Ross Chastain with 119 laps remaining, ultimately finishing fourth in the points standings.

2021: 24 Hours of Daytona Debut

In 2021, Chase Elliott debuted in the 24 Hours of Daytona, driving the No. 31 Cadillac for Action Express Racing. Despite starting on the pole, the car faced mechanical issues, and the race ended prematurely due to a gear failure.

2021: NASCAR Heat: Ultimate Edition+ Cover Appearance

In 2021, Chase Elliott is featured on the cover of the Nintendo Switch-exclusive NASCAR Heat: Ultimate Edition+.

2021: Substituted for Michael Annett

In 2021, Chase Elliott substituted for Michael Annett at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course.

2021: Subject of Documentary "Chase"

In 2021, Chase Elliott was the subject of a documentary with Dale Earnhardt Jr. called "Chase", which tells the story of his racing career.

2021: Win at Circuit of the Americas and Road America

In 2021, Chase Elliott won at the inaugural race at Circuit of the Americas, marking Hendrick Motorsports’ 268th Cup win and Chevrolet’s 800th Cup win. He also won at Road America. The season also featured heated moments, particularly during the Bristol Night Race, where Elliott clashed with Kevin Harvick.

2021: SRX Season Finale Victory

In 2021, Chase Elliott won the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) season finale at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway, battling and passing his father, Bill Elliott, to secure the victory.

2021: Returned to Truck Series

In 2021, Elliott returned to the Truck Series, racing for GMS Racing at Texas Motor Speedway.

October 2, 2022: Victory at Talladega

On October 2, 2022, Chase Elliott secured his second career victory at Talladega, earning his series-high fifth victory of the season, tying his career-best performance from his championship-winning 2020 season.

2022: Regular Season Championship

Chase Elliott secured the 2022 NASCAR regular-season championship with one race remaining, after a strong run of finishes. In the final regular-season race at Daytona, he was involved in a major crash.

2022: Drove in Bristol Dirt Event

In 2022, Chase Elliott drove the No. 7 truck for Spire Motorsports in the Bristol Dirt event.

2022: Controversy at California and Win at Dover

In 2022, Chase Elliott had a controversial race at California where he was involved in an incident with teammate Kyle Larson. He rebounded with a win at Dover. He faced a rough patch after Darlington, with several crashes and poor finishes.

2022: NASCAR Rivals Appearance

In 2022, Chase Elliott is in the Nintendo Switch-exclusive NASCAR Rivals along with his car and 2022 paint schemes.

2022: SRX Season Finale Victory at Sharon Speedway

In 2022, Chase Elliott won the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) season finale at Sharon Speedway, claiming victory in the main event after a duel with Tony Stewart.

2023: Fox NASCAR Guest Commentator

In 2023, Chase Elliott returned to Fox as a remote guest commentator for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix while recovering from a broken leg.

2023: Competed in Daytona

In 2023, Elliott took the wheel of the No. 35 Chevy Silverado RST for McAnally-Hilgemann Racing at Daytona International Speedway, substituting for Jake Garcia. He finished 10th in the rain-shortened race.

2024: Win at Texas

In 2024, Chase Elliott claimed victory at Texas, ending a 42-race winless streak. This was his only win of the season, and he failed to qualify for the Championship 4.