Chase Elliott Skeptical of Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Revival of NASCAR’s “Lost Relic” After Years of Deliberation
Since last year, the North Wilkesboro Speedway has been on the NASCAR Cup Series calendar. The 0.6-mile track returned after a 25-year absence, though it isn’t hosting a championship race. Instead, it is playing host to the All-Star race and will do so again in 2025. Ahead of the race weekend, Hendrick Motorsports star Chase Elliott spoke about the track and what it’s return means.
Evidently, North Wilkesboro would not have found itself on NASCAR radar if not for Dale Earnhardt Jr. The former NASCAR driver was one of the most influential figures and the key to the track’s revival. Moreover, his intention started off as wanting to repave it to add its likeness to the iRacing simulator. But the job that he did was a bit too good, and NASCAR felt that it was decent enough to be race-worthy.
Chase Elliott reflected on the decision to bring North Wilkesboro back
During a recent press conference, Chase Elliott said, “I think its a good thing. This place has been around for a long time. Kind of in the heart of NASCAR land, with Charlotte being right down the road and all that stuff. I think its a good thing, personally I was excited to see that NASCAR spent a bunch of money to repave the place. That just told me that it was going to be around for a while, and then they made that commitment very quickly. I think it’s all positive, the fan turnout was great last year, I hope that continues.
Feb 15, 2024; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Chase Elliott (9) before the start of the Bluegreen Vacations Duel 1 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports
I’ve seen a couple of times in my career, that we’ll have something new and go really good the first time. Then it won’t after that, so I hope that this continues to be a positive event, because it was, last year. That led to the money being spent on the race track and resurface and seemingly sticking around.,” he added. Admittedly, Elliot was a bit wary that this track might not stand the test of time.
Moreover, Chase Elliott cited his fear that novelty and race craft would only decline after the first year. Fortunately, that has not happened yet for the North Wilkesboro Speedway, though he has yet to see what 2024 has in store. As for now, everything depends on how the NASCAR All-Star Open and the NASCAR All-Star Race will play out this weekend.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver has been in good form this season
Last year was miserable for Chase Elliott, and it was partly his own doing. This was because he got injured while on holiday, and it put him out of action for a while. Since then, Elliot was unable to make up for it. He missed out on the Playoffs for the first time in his Cup Series career.
Now, he has more than made up for it with a win this year at the Texas Motor Speedway. Not only did it secure a Playoff berth, but it has come a long way in restoring his confidence. This triumph reaffirmed him as an elite NASCAR driver, and now he even has the results to prove it. So, it would also be great for Elliot’s morale if he won at the North Wilkesboro Speedway and notched up his second win of 2024.
What’s your take on Chase Elliott’s upcoming trajectory? Share your thoughts in the comments.
The post Chase Elliott Skeptical of Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Revival of NASCAR’s “Lost Relic” After Years of Deliberation appeared first on EssentiallySports.
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