Chase Elliot is the new poster child for NASCAR, but he's pretty modest about it so far. In an interview with the New York Times, fellow racer Ryan Blaney lauded Elliot, saying he believed Elliot is slotted to take over the mantle as the sport's favorite son.
Elliot, for his own part, was modest.
"I just want to be genuine. I don't want to force myself on anybody -- I don't think anybody wants to force themselves on anybody. I don't necessarily care if a guy wants to pull for me or wants to pull for somebody else; I just want to be genuine."
For a man who flaunts his mortality in the face of the almighty, Elliot seems like a pretty grounded dude. Maybe he'll bring an air of civil dignity to a sport that is characterized by gratuitous flyovers, massive crashes, and blistering speeds. Of course, we want to keep all of those things, just maybe add some white tie flair.
Related: A favorite has emerged to take Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s place next year