(Editor's Note: In the week leading up to the start of the Chase for the Sprint Cup at Chicagoland, we will be profiling each of the 16 Chase drivers.)
Driver: Chase Elliott
Seed: No. 14
Team: Hendrick Motorsports, No. 24 Chevrolet
Crew chief: Alan Gustafson
Best finish: 2nd, Michigan 1, Michigan 2
Age: 20
Hometown: Dawsonville, Ga.
In his first full-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season, Chase Elliott has lived up to all the hype.
Elliott had some big shoes to fill, taking over the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet following Jeff Gordon's retirement from full-time competition in 2015.
In the first 26 regular-season races, the rookie driver earned seven top fives and 13 top-10 finishes, along with two poles and an 16th-place average finishing position.
Five defining moments:
1. Daytona 500 -- Elliott had an up-and-down Daytona Speedweeks. He put the No. 24 on the pole for NASCAR's biggest race, but crashed out by himself to finish a hugely disappointing 37th.
2. Kobalt 400 at Las Vegas -- After finishing eighth in the second race of the year at Atlanta, Elliott crashed once again at Las Vegas. A dismal 38th-place result out West would be his worst finish of the regular season.
3. AAA 400 Drive for Autism at Dover -- The Monster Mile was kind to Elliott the first time around, finishing third behind Kyle Larson and race winner Matt Kenseth. Dover is in the Chase, so a repeat result or even better will be crucial.
4. Michigan magic -- Elliott scored second-place finishes in both the FireKeepers Casino 400 in June and the Pure Michigan 400 in August at Michigan International Speedway.
5. Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond -- After some contact with Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon that led to a blown tire, Elliott managed an 18th place finish -- enough to make it into the Chase on points.
