Open letter to Chase Elliott: Enjoy the ride

Dear Chase,

Hey man, another great run Sunday at Michigan International Speedway. You led 31 laps, had a chance to win and ultimately finished second to help solidify your Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff spot.

And wow, what a season so far. Twelve top-10 finishes and seven top-fives? It’s been pretty darn impressive for anyone, let alone a 20-year-old rookie. You’re racing against the most talented field of drivers in North America and you’ve been beating many of them all year.

When compared to your predecessor in the No. 24 car, Jeff Gordon, you’re actually having a better season than he did in his final full-time campaign to this point. People knew you were good, but I’m not sure many expected you to be this good, this soon. You should be proud.

The thing is, I’m not sure you are. Every time fans hear from you after a race, you seem miserable. If you have a fast car and don’t win, you say you’ve let down your team.

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I know you’re not putting on any sort of false front; those feelings are real. You were asked after the race if you were frustrated or disappointed, and you said all of the above.

“I'd be lying if I said I wasn't,” you said. “If I wasn't, that would mean I didn't care.”

I get that. You grew up the son of Hall of Fame driver and 1988 champion Bill Elliott, you’ve proven you’re capable of winning (you bagged three races en route to the 2014 Xfinity Series championship) and you race for Hendrick Motorsports, the best team in NASCAR over the years with 11 Cup titles. You believe you should have won by now, and several times at that.

And of course, there’s nothing wrong with being disappointed over a near-win.

But dude, when you make a mistake during a race, it seems like you’re harder on yourself and apologize more than people who actually have something to be sorry about.

Retired driver Mark Martin tweeted Monday you were “way (too) self-critical” and that you were doing “amazing things behind the wheel.” He said you should give yourself a little credit.

Martin knows a lot more than I do, and if he says you shouldn’t beat yourself up so much, I think he’s on to something.

I totally understand you feel like a better restart at Michigan would have won the race, but to say you let your team down? No way. Compared to who? Certainly not the guy you replaced in the 24 car, whose lackluster restarts were the butt of jokes in his final years.

Chase, you are doing extraordinary things. People haven’t seen a rookie this consistently competitive since Denny Hamlin in 2006. You haven’t been letting your team down, you’ve been lifting it up during Hendrick Motorsports’ worst season in years.

It’s not like any of your teammates have won lately, either. Jimmie Johnson hasn’t won since March and Kasey Kahne hasn’t won in two years. Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t go to victory lane this year before a concussion sidelined him.

Look, you’re 20. Some drivers are racing until their mid-40s, so you’ve potentially got 25 more years in this sport. By the time you’re done, you’re going to be a legend. An entire generation of fans will be used to seeing you in victory lane, and you’re going to win many, many times over the years – not just races, but championships.

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I’m not saying you need to lighten up, because that’s what makes you a competitor. You’re driven and you’re a perfectionist.

But don’t forget to have fun along the way. I know you’re capable of having fun, because your social media posts about the Atlanta Braves and Eric Church and flying a plane make it look like there are a lot of things that make you happy in life.

I hope racing makes you happy, too. Take the fans on a journey with you; let them experience rooting for you as an enthusiastic up-and-comer who, yes, made some mistakes and eventually became a champion.

I know you expect to win now, but don’t forget to enjoy the ride. Because if the overwhelming emotion you feel when you finally get to victory lane is relief, you will have robbed yourself of a unique joy few people in this world will ever get to experience.

Sincerely,

Jeff Gluck

Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck