Chase Elliott Joins Dad Bill on NASCAR's '75 Greatest' List

In 1998, during its 50th anniversary season, NASCAR unveiled what it considered its 50 greatest drivers. The list included most of the stars from the organization’s earliest years, many of whom eventually would find their way into the NASCAR Hall of Fame when it opened in 2010.

Beginning April 9, the sanctioning body will add 25 names to its “all-time” list as part of its 75th anniversary celebration. It is expected to name five drivers per week—most likely one per weekday—in the five weeks ending with the May 14th Goodyear 400 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

The newest group among the sport’s greatest drivers is being selected by a committee comprised of former drivers, team owners, industry personnel, NASCAR executives, and current and former media members. All 75—the original 50 class named 25 years ago and the new 25—will be recognized during Goodyear 400 pre-race ceremonies.

As NASCAR celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1998, company president Bill France called that group “the men who define the competition of our sport.” He added, “Their accomplishments are the benchmark that much of our history is identified by. Honoring them in this way, at the beginning of the NASCAR 50th anniversary celebration, is one way of showing our true appreciation for them and the invaluable contribution they have given over the past 50 years. These are the drivers who made and make NASCAR fans stand on their feet and cheer. These are the drivers who are NASCAR history.”

The original “50 Greatest Drivers” were from the Modified, Xfinity Series, and Cup Series. The Craftsman Truck Series was too young to have had any “greatest drivers,” but that’s expected to change with this new group.

Today's Addition: Chase Elliott

In the case of the Elliott family of Dawsonville, Ga., the apple certainly hasn’t fallen far from the tree. Just as Hall of Fame driver Bill Elliott won NASCAR’s 1988 Cup Series title, was its 16-time Most Popular Driver, and was named among its 75 Greatest Drivers in 1998, so, too, his son, Chase, is following that same path.

On Friday, like his father 25 years ago, Chase was named as one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers. He won the Cup title in 2020 and has been its Most Popular Driver for the past five years, since Dale Earnhardt Jr. retired in 2017. At 27, his Cup resume is impressive: 260 starts (he debuted in 2015 as a 19-year-old for Hendrick Motorsports), 12 poles, 18 victories, 87 top-5 finishes, 139 top-10 finishes, seven top-10 points seasons, and 2016 Rookie of the Year over Chris Buescher and Ryan Blaney.

Just as Bill got his breakthrough victory on a road course (Riverside, Calif. in 1983), Chase’s first of 18 victories came at Watkins Glen in 2018. Among his more notable victories: two each at Talladega, the Charlotte Roval, Dover, and the Glen, plus singles at Elkhart Lake, COTA, the Daytona Road Course, Atlanta, Martinsville, Nashville, and Phoenix.

If that’s not enough, he won five Xfinity Series races in 82 starts between 2014 and 2016, took the series title for JR Motorsports in 2014 and was second-ranked in 2015. He reached NASCAR’s national level as a 17-year-old in 2013 by getting the first of his three victories in the Craftsman Truck Series at Bowmanville, Canada.

Chase missed this year’s first eight races while recovering from a broken leg suffered in a pre-season snowboarding accident in Colorado. He finished 10th last weekend at Martinsville and showed no signs of being off his game due to the long layoff. His old man was pretty tough, too.

NASCAR'S 50 Greatest Drivers

Selected in 1998

Bobby Allison
Davey Allison
Buck Baker
Buddy Baker
Geoff Bodine
Neil Bonnett
Red Byron
Jerry Cook
Dale Earnhardt
Ralph Earnhardt
Bill Elliott
Richie Evans
Red Farmer
Tim Flock
A.J. Foyt
Harry Gant
Jeff Gordon
Ray Hendrick
Jack Ingram
Ernie Irvan
Bobby Isaac
Dale Jarrett
Ned Jarrett
Junior Johnson
Alan Kulwicki
Terry Labonte
Fred Lorenzen
Tiny Lund
Mark Martin
Hershel McGriff
Cotton Owens
Marvin Panch
Benny Parsons
David Pearson
Lee Petty
Richard Petty
Tim Richmond
Fireball Roberts
Ricky Rudd
Marshall Teague
Herb Thomas
Curtis Turner
Rusty Wallace
Darrell Waltrip
Joe Weatherly
Bob Welborn
Rex White
Glen Wood
Cale Yarborough
LeeRoy Yarbrough

The Next 25

Selected in 2023

(To be released one per weekday by NASCAR, in no particular order.)

51, Tony Stewart

52, Kasey Kahne

53, Mike Stefanik

54, Randy Lajoie

55, Kyle Larson

56, Greg Biffle

57, Sterling Marlin

58, Ryan Newman

59, Chase Elliott

60, Expected to be announced April 24