Is Chase Elliott already a NASCAR Hall of Famer? The numbers say yes
Chase Elliott’s win at Talladega this past Sunday secured him a spot in the next round of NASCAR’s Cup Series playoffs.
It probably also guaranteed him a future home in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
With his fifth win of 2022, Chase is now sitting on 18 career wins, to go along with a championship (same for Kyle Larson, by the way).
Chase was previously tied, at 17 wins, with 1961 Daytona 500 winner Marvin Panch and Hall of Famer Curtis Turner, who would’ve won plenty more races if he hadn’t spent some time on the outs with NASCAR ruler Bill France Sr. (another story for another day).
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At 18 wins, along with Larson, Chase is also tied on the all-time list with a group of notables: Geoff Bodine, Neil Bonnett, Harry Gant, Ryan Newman, and Kasey Kahne.
Just one win above him, at 19, is a pair of Hall of Famers – Buddy Baker and Davey Allison, as well as Greg Biffle and Fonty Flock.
By this time next year, it seems Chase should start picking off other Hall of Fame racers on that list. Three sit within modest range – Bobby Labonte and Benny Parsons at 21, and Terry Labonte at 22.
Joe Weatherly, another Hall of Famer, is at 25, with fellow inductees Fred Lorenzen and Dale Earnhardt Jr. at 26 – all reachable if Chase has a good 2023.
Frankly, Chase might’ve already been a Hall lock. The only past Cup champs not in the Hall of Fame are those still racing or, in Jimmie Johnson’s case, too recently retired (he’ll be eligible in 2024).
Though Chase could likely retire after this year, at the ripe age of 26, and still be a future Hall of Famer, he has a ways to go before taking over bragging rights at the Thanksgiving dinner table.
Dad Bill Elliott is still 26 wins ahead of his on, with 44. He was also a Cup champ (in 1988) and has been a Hall of Fame inductee since 2015.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Chase Elliott, NASCAR Hall of Famer? At just 26, the numbers don't lie
