Hendrick Motorsports driver Kyle Larson said that his teammate Chase Elliott is trained to handle pressure in the best way.
Back in November, as the 2020 Cup Series headed Martinsville Speedway, Elliott found himself in a must-win race. Otherwise, like the past three seasons, he would have been knocked out of the playoffs from the same stage, having failed to reach the Championship 4 on each occasion.
But this time around, the HMS No. 9 driver delivered on the stage that he used to falter and went on to become the third-youngest champion in the Cup Series history.
Now, a teammate and a participant in the Chili Bowl Nationals, Larson has been able to see Elliott’s abilities firsthand. And looking at it, Larson has been in awe of his teammates abilities. He said:
“I think Chase has always had a lot of eyes on him throughout his career. His dad’s Bill Elliott, so I think he’s always had that pressure on him. I’m sure he doesn’t care about it or whatever, but he’s always had it, and I think that’s probably trained him for moments like this.”
Working under pressure and striving to improve despite criticism is what makes a driver great. Everyone faces pressure and criticism but only those come out of that to become a winner.
As for the competition that Elliott and Larson are set to participate, Elliott will need as much help from his HMS teammate as Larson is the defending champion.
[Read More: Chase Elliott leaning on Kyle Larson for his Chilli Bowl debut]