Chase Elliott named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list ahead of GEICO 500

Chase Elliott, voted NASCAR’s most popular driver for the past five seasons, has received another honor as he gears up for the GEICO 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday. 

In celebration of its 75th anniversary, NASCAR is recognizing the 75 greatest drivers in history, and on Friday Elliott was the latest driver to be added to the iconic list. 

“I’m humbled to even be considered for this list, it’s a great honor that I don’t take lightly,” Elliott said in a post on Twitter in response to the announcement.” 

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“There’s still much work left to be done…” 

Elliott joins his father, 1988 Winston Cup Series champion Bill Elliott, on the list, which first recognized him in 1998 as one of the 50 greatest drivers in NASCAR history. 

The 27-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver is an 18-time Cup winner and the 2020 Cup Series champion. 

Elliott returned to the racetrack last weekend at the NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway. He missed six races following a snowboarding accident in early March, in which he suffered a broken left tibia. 

Elliott finished 10th but is hoping to make a playoff push with Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway. 

“I’m kind of excited about the challenge, really,” he said, via NASCAR.com. “It’s kind of unique and kind of fun. Either win and you’re in, or don’t, and you fail, so I kind of like it.”

The GEICO 500 kicks off Sunday on FOX at 3 p.m. ET.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.