Sliced Bread 2.0? Chase Elliott Climbing The NASCAR Ladder

Chase Elliott may have to wait at least four more years before he can spray real champagne in victory lane, but expect him to collect quite a few checkered flags before then. Photo Credit: Mike Gatzke/Iowa Speedway.

By: Toby Christie - Follow on Twitter @Tobalical

Many old school fans remember watching Chase Elliott being carried by his famous father -- Bill Elliott -- during media interviews in the 1990s. Racing was ingrained in the 17-year old Elliott's blood from a young age, and according to his website (chaseelliott.com), it was his father's win in the 2002 Brickyard 400 that cemented the fact that he wanted to pursue a career as a racecar driver.

Now fast-forward a little more than ten years, and Chase Elliott -- at the age of 17 -- is on the verge of running races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Elliott has been on everyone's radar for quite some time. Back in 2011 he captured the trophy in the coveted Snowball Derby, and he became the youngest to ever achieve this feat. Elliott even finished third in Denny Hamlin's short track showdown that year, and although he's only 17, he has logged a lot of time on the racetrack. From gokarts, to running late models in his early teenage years, to signing a development driving deal with Hendrick Motorsports in the K&N Pro Series, Elliott has gained valuable experience, and he is a superstar in the making.

Last season, he competed in six ARCA Racing events. He finished each one of those races in the top-ten, and he recorded an average finish of 5.7. He also finished fourth in the overall point standings in the K&N Pro Series East, where he also recorded his first career NASCAR victory.

Hendrick Motorsports announced at their Media Day last Wednesday that they would be fielding cars and trucks for Chase Elliott in five ARCA races, and nine NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races. If Elliott can impress -- which every indication shows that he will -- a full-time ride in one of NASCAR's National Series (Sprint Cup, Nationwide, Camping World Truck) should follow shortly after.

Keep an eye on Chase Elliott as he continues his progression up the NASCAR ladder -- he very well could be the next "Sliced Bread".

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One Comment

1. 

   Rusty

   January 28, 2013 at 1:09 pm

   if he gets two or three top tens he’ll have done good.

   Reply