Everyone in the media center at Watkins Glen International thought that Chase Elliott had finished his Saturday press conference. They were incorrect. He had one more message to deliver, one specifically for Hall of Fame voters.
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He wanted to take time to publicly campaign on behalf of his uncle, Ernie Elliott, who is an addition to the Modern Era ballot.
"I would be remiss to not talk about my Uncle Ernie who was nominated and on the ballot," Elliott said. "I don't talk about stuff like this a lot, but you don't have to dig very far into the Elliott racing story to recognize, one, how much of a family effort it was, how much of a team effort it was.
"I don't think you would find anybody in the group that would tell you the story has the same ending today throughout the course of the 80s, even leading into my career, that looks the same without Uncle Ernie and what he meant to all of us. I think from my perspective, he means a lot to me personally. He's meant a lot to my career. He was building engines for our race cars, racing super late model races and all those things. So I'm just very grateful for him."
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Ernie, also a native of Dawsonville, Georgia, filled multiple roles while working alongside Hall of Fame driver Bill Elliott. He built engines that propelled Bill's cars to wins, and he also served as a crew chief for his younger brother.
Ernie spent 279 races atop the pit box while guiding Bill. He helped his brother win 33 races, which included two Daytona 500s and two Southern 500s. They also won the championship in 1988.
Ernie's engines accounted for 40 total Cup Series wins, as well as 291 top-10 finishes. This level of success helped him earn the honors of Engine Builder of the Year in 1985 and Engine Builder of the Decade for the 1980s.
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"I'm biased, but I wanted to at least just express how much of an important role he had on my dad's career," Elliott added. "The things and the success that they had, I don't think it would have been the same without him, and I don't know that everybody totally understands that.
"I get to have a lot of really cool conversations with him on Monday's, Tuesday's, and Wednesday's throughout the week about things he was doing to the '85 Winston Million engine or the '87 Daytona 500 engine that you guys will never hear. And I take those things for granted, but I think they would blow your mind. The ingenuity and the things that he brought to the table for them was really second to none."
Elliott's words carry a lot of weight, especially for the fans of NASCAR who will account for one of the Hall of Fame votes.
Yet, Ernie will face a challenge as a member of the 2027 Modern Era ballott. He will go up against some big names, including first-year addition Kevin Harvick.
The Modern Era ballott also includes the late Greg Biffle, 18-time Cup winner Neil Bonnett, 21-time Cup winner Jeff Burton, two-time champion crew chief Tim Brewer, three-time Truck champion Jack Sprague, nine-time champion engine builder Randy Dorton, six-time ARCA West champion Ray Elder, and two-time O'Reilly Auto Parts Series champion Randy LaJoie.
"And again, there are a lot of very, very deserving names on the list that will get in and should get in, whether it be this year or another year down the road," Elliott said.
"But certainly I feel that he is one of the very deserving names on the list and one that doesn't get talked about enough for the credit that he deserves. Yeah, it meant a lot to me. I appreciate his support throughout the years and wishing him the best on that."
