Chase Elliott is running a red #9 from the Evernham Motorsports era of his father’s career
Next week, NASCAR rolls in Darlington, South Carolina. The egg-shaped 1.3-mile track of Darlington Raceway will host the famed throwback weekend on NASCAR’s 75th anniversary season.
View the Bill Elliott throwback below.
Bill Elliott, father of NASCAR driver Chase Elliott is a NASCAR Cup Series champion with 44 wins to his name. Bill retired from the Cup scene in 2012, just before his son’s debut in 2015.
Between 2001-2003, Bill ran the #9 car for Evernham Motorsports. He collected four wins in that time, including his last career win via Carolina Motor Speedway. And behind the scenes, son Chase was watching.
By the early 2000’s, Chase was old enough to understand what was happening. And in Chase’s eyes, those years played a crucial role in his decision to go racing.
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Chase Elliott talks the throwback to his father
“This one means a lot,” Chase Elliott said of the paint scheme.
“Those years were extremely crucial, not only for the number but I’m not sure that I would have even found racing had those years not been going on,” Chase Elliott stated of the time Bill Elliott drove for Evernham Motorsports.
Bill Elliott added, “He was exposed.”
Chase added, “If I wasn’t exposed then I don’t know that I find it. But, those years impacted me heavily. It sparked my interest to try to want and do it.”
Bill Elliott recalled a memory, “I’ll never forget one time racing, we were at Talladega. This was when Chase was very young and he was on the pit box with Ray. We were on the parade lap going around, Chase looks up at Ray and says, ‘Man, another day at the racetrack.’ Or something like that, just so glad to be there.”
The paint scheme makes it’s debut on May 14th at Darlington Raceway for the Goodyear 400.
Chase Elliott and Bill Elliott discuss the Darlington Raceway throwback
Chase Elliott
Bill Elliott Throwback
Chase Elliott
Bill Elliott Throwback
Aric Almirola running Dale Earnhardt Jr throwback racecar (Photos)
