Chase Elliott: "At this point, I ought to know how to" win a race

There is no one more aware of the zero in his win column than he is.

Elliott, the 22-year-old son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, has the lineage, fan base and talent to be one of the sport’s biggest stars for years to come.

But the zero in his 0-for-77 career record bugs him. More for his team owner, Rick Hendrick, and those who believe in his ability than for himself.

Close on multiple occasions 

In those 77 Cup series starts, Elliott has finished second on seven occasions and that doesn’t include numerous other races where it appeared he had a car capable of winning a race.

“I want to do well for all parties involved, not just for the sake of the sport,” Elliott said Tuesday during the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour. “I want to do my thing, do the job that I think that I can do for my guys and my team, the job that they deserve. 

“Mr. Hendrick put a lot of trust in me to do well. He’s had a reputation, his company, of winning – winning championships, winning races. I haven’t really done that for him. I’d love to do my part. 

“I don’t feel like I have to this point – earn my place, earn my keep there at Hendrick Motorsports.”

Don’t let Elliott fool you.

He’s won at virtually event form of stock car racing in which he has competed – five wins and a championship in the Xfinity Series; two wins in Trucks; one win each in K&N Pro Series East and West; an ARCA victory; and several wins in prestigious Super Late Model races.

The difficulty Elliott has had in securing that first Cup series win isn’t unusual, nor his drought necessarily very long.

Perhaps it is the growing clamor of fans anxiously awaiting Elliott’s first trip to Victory Lane that makes the drought seem more prolonged.

“Chase Elliott winning a race would be good for everybody. I think he hasn’t done that in two years,” said 2014 Cup series champion Kevin Harvick. “There is a lot of hype and he has been very competitive.

“I can promise you that every person in that garage should be happy for the sport when Chase Elliott wins a race because he is big for our sport.”

2018 goal is simply to win

Elliott doesn’t spend a lot of time worrying if the sport would be better off with him winning.

He does know he would be.

His primary goal this season?

“Try to win a race. Starting year three, I think at this point I ought to know how to do that much at least,” he said. “Think that I’m capable of doing it. I think we've had the speed and the ability to compete for wins. I think we’ve shown that on more than one occasion. 

“Just a matter of actually doing it. I sound like a broke record, but you just got to go do it. We’re capable. Just got to make it happen.”

And just about everyone is waiting.