Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour presented by NASCAR on FOX - Chase Elliott Interview

Episode Date: April 16, 2026

Chase Elliott breaks down his first NASCAR Cup Series win of the season at Martinsville, dives into the intensity of racing at Bristol Motor Speedway, discusses adapting to the NASCAR Chase championship format, car changes, and reveals behind-the-scenes insight into his relationship with crew chief Alan Gustafson while sharing thoughts on his father Bill Elliott still racing. On this episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour, Kevin Harvick sits down with Elliott to recap the Martinsville victory, analyze championship strategy, explore the challenges of Bristol, and give fans an inside look at life in the NASCAR Cup Series. 0:00 - Intro 0:20 - Chase Elliott Joins The Show! 0:35 - Winning At Martinsville 2:20 - Adjusting To Chase Championship Format 9:05 - Relationship With Alan Gustafson 13:03 - Adapting To Changes In The Car 21:24 - Intensity Of Racing At Bristol 24:00 - Father Bill Elliott Still Racing Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's not many people in your life that totally get what you're going through, that you do on a weekly basis. And when that person is your dad, that is a very rare thing. Those small little things early on, I just was like, man, this is great. You know, like I just, I feel respected. California's Kevin Hartman does it. Thanks for taking the time, first off. And, you know, I think, obviously winning early in the year, I know for me, it was always. always something that just helped the enthusiasm of the team and everything.

I mean, what did it feel like to get that win knocked out so early in the season? Well, I think for us, it was, well, for me, personally, and I'm sure Allen had won early in the year before, but I had not. And it was kind of the first time that we've ever crossed that bridge that early in the season. And it is a different vibe, I would say. and just not that it, not to be confused with taking pressure away from, or I shouldn't say pressure,

but want and will to perform, but I think it's more of like, hey, you have a really nice runway and opportunity to build on this throughout the rest of the season. And I feel like in a lot of years past, it seems like we have gotten to the last 10 or 15, and we've really had to, we've gotten ourselves in positions

where it's like, man, we have to go be almost perfect. And that can be a difficult place to be. Now, fortunately, we've done an okay job at that, but it is nice to kind of get on the front end, establish a little bit of a foundation of success early in the year. And who knows where the year goes? I mean, it's no guarantee how the rest of the season is going to play out.

But it's a great opportunity for us to really have something to build on and not get ourselves so far behind where we've got to play catch-up throughout the last few months. Yeah, and it's a little off track of where I was going to go, but with the new chase format and everything that comes with that, I mean, how much more important is it to get yourself? I mean, I feel like you always can get behind so easy, but it's so hard to catch back up.

And now you're in that position where you don't have to catch up. I mean, I still feel like you've got to be in that top six at the reset to win the championship. Is that fair? I would say somewhere right there. And so, you know, I think that with the way that the points are now, a win before would almost put you in a position. It's like, well, I won now. I can kind of, we can kind of try some things and wing it.

But now you got to, you have to be able to go week in and week out. So is it, do you feel like it's even more important now with, with the wind being early to keep that momentum? Because you got to roll it all the way through the season. It is definitely different. I mean, and that's where it's like, you know, part of you, part of me has thought, man, well, if it was the other system, it would have been better. but the more I've kind of thought about it, I've almost leaned more in the direction exactly like what you're talking in the sense of, yeah, it is a, it's just a, the runway is much longer now, right? And you have an opportunity. Never ends. Oh, yeah. It really never ends, to your point. And wins are huge. I mean, you look at what Tyler's done over the course of the first, you know, handful of races. Dude has a massive points. Yeah. And I think that comes from the difference of running first to running second is so big from a point standpoint. And, I mean, it, it, it, it, it, it, it, totally rewards winning. It's not like the wins. You can just run okay and get away with it. And that's where, you know, people are like, oh, you know, this point system is perfect for you

and this and that. And I'm like, man, you're going to have to be contending for wins every week for the last 10 weeks because being solid and being, you know, being okay is not going to get you where you need to go because of the gap, right? And how many points you get for winning is substantial. Yeah. So I think it's going to be really important. Yeah, those last 10, you're going to have to really be on your game to have a good shot at it. But I still feel like it leans heavily towards guys like you.

And maybe you don't feel this way. But I still feel like it leans heavily towards guys like you that have the ability to take a 10th place car and finish 8th with it or a 15th place car and grind it out and wind up with a, you know, top five. And you even go back to Martinsville. It's like, okay, good practice, kind of not as good in the first run of the race. And then you make, you know, Alan makes a great pick call. You get your car better throughout the day and you get the track position and you set sail.

And there's just not, in my opinion, there's not but a handful of you guys that can do that. So, you know, when you look at your team and you look at the ability to grind, is that communication experience? What makes it just the way that you were brought up racing? Because I feel like for, you know, from my standpoint, that was how I was how I, I was brought up with to race was when you were running 10th, you figured out how to finish to 8th. It wasn't always about trying to win just one race. It was trying to get the best finish.

I totally. And I think that that I think a little bit of everything that you said, you know, I remember one of my very first late model races that I was running, you know, in South Georgia. And we were, you know, running 8th or 10th or something. I was really young and we were just getting started. And it was, I was being motivated to go run ninth. Like I specifically remember that, you know,

going on that night. and I think that that mentality carried forward for me. Yeah, I'm always, you know, thinking about just being the best that I can be that day, whatever it is that is kind of brought to you or you're presented with. You know, I think that Allen does a great job of that too. And we weren't running well from a track position standpoint in the race, but we got about halfway and he made a few changes. And I thought, man, this thing really is not bad.

Like I don't feel like I'm a ninth place car. A ninth place car. I just am having a hard time getting myself into a position where I can control my runs and control my builds and kind of pace myself the way that I feel like I need to pace a run to have anything left at the end, right? You kind of get forced in positions that you don't want to be in because you don't want to keep bleeding track position. And sometimes those narratives can be difficult to control throughout a race.

So to your point, you know, great call. But without some of those changes that we had made throughout the early portion of that race, if we get the lead and we haven't been doing our job early to make our car better, the result is not the same. That's right. You know, those two things had to come together. And I was most proud of that. The call was great. It worked out. No question. I think we were actually in good shape either way. I was kind of hoping it was going to go, you know, go green. I thought it was going to be really fun. So where were you at during that call? I know in some of those sorts of those. strategy calls when they're like, ah, all right, Pitt. You're like, pit, pit, what? I mean, were you, were you in tune with what was happening, knew, knew what was going on and the fact that you, you know, it was either, it was kind of a make or break moment. If the caution comes out early,

it was going to be not great. But the way that it worked out, it turned out to be a great strategy. Is that something you guys had planned? And in the car, were you aware of that could happen? Yeah, I knew that it was definitely an opportunity. We tried it, you know, know, there before. And I mean, the truth of the matter is the odds of the last stage going green to Martin'sville or next to none. And everyone knows that. Therefore, no one does that. And, you know, so you're playing against the odds a little bit, but it is also about the timing of the way it works out. And so I knew, obviously we're not talking about this on the radio while they're thinking about it. But when I get called to pit road, I'm kind of piecing together, you know, hey, no one else is stopping

after I'd come back out on track. You know, first thing is, are you just shorten them a couple laps or are you totally on your own? Right. And we came back out and, you know, we'd run like five or six laps and I didn't seen hardly anybody else come down pit road. And I thought, okay, you know, I understand what we're doing now at this point. So then my mind just goes to cumulative total time, right?

This is all just a game of inches. And at that point, you're, you know, just trying to be as efficient as you can. getting through traffic, but then to me the big one becomes, how efficient are you on the back end of a run when you're really struggling and those guys are eating you up on fresh tires, right? And the good news for us with the way it played out, we had forced those guys, I guess us and whoever else kind of followed suit, had forced a lot of the leaders to pit way earlier than I think they were wanting to, so they were going to have to make a pretty long run to the end. But I guess to answer your question, it didn't take long for me to realize what was going on.

And at that point, yeah, it's just a big math equation and what the timing looks like and how efficient I can be throughout the course of my run to make as much time as possible. Yeah, well, it worked out. And that's sometimes you've got to make those gutsy calls. When you look at Allen, you know, just I haven't been around him a lot, but I've been around him enough to know how intense he is. And you're intense, but in a very, I feel like it's a different way than what he is. And, you know, I think it's always interesting to see the pairs of drivers and crew chiefs that work.

What's made that work so long? Because a lot of noise on the outside. I know you guys don't pay attention to that because behind the walls, you guys seem to be very in tune and trust each other. What's that relationship been like? Because it can be hard when you're not winning. or running good, those conversations and the things that you have to talk about, you've got to have somebody that you can believe that it's going to ask you the hard questions and trusts. So what's that like with Alan?

Yeah, and, you know, there have been enough hard days where I think that that has been tested plenty, way more than I would like it, you know, to have been for certain stretches of time for sure. But, you know, I think that for us and the reason that it has worked, as the amount of respect that I received from him very early on when I really didn't deserve it was very high. Like there was just a lot of respect that it was never, hey, this is how I've done it for the past 15 years. This is how we're going to do it now. You know, I just feel like I was always given the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to kind of make this team. and this effort our own.

And I think so many times when you come into a situation, I was 20 years old, I guess, and he had been racing for a heck of a lot longer than me. And I think it would be really easy for somebody that had that much experience to say, this is how we're going to do it, not listen to a single opinion I had on anything, right? And I think it would be really easy for me

to not argue that, right? and just say, hey, I totally trust where your head's at. But right from the rip, I just felt like he gave me so much respect for my opinion, for how I looked at things, for, you know, he listened and cared to what I had to say, whether he actually cared or not. He made it seem like he did. And honestly, like those small little things early on, I just was like, man, this is great. You know, like, I just feel respected.

I feel like. Yeah, you guys feel like you're doing it as a team. Yeah, I feel like we're doing it as a team. And I felt that way from day one. And what does that do when you feel that from someone older than you, you know, somebody that you looked up to, watched race on TV? Well, it immediately makes you want to give 10 times that respect back as a young kid. Like why you got a guy.

You don't want to let him down. No, yeah, you got a guy that's sitting here giving you all the respect in the world. And I don't deserve it. Well, of course, it just makes me want to give him everything. I've got in return. So that is why it has worked, I think, is because of that. And I think that, you know, he set that precedent and he really laid the groundwork of that relationship early on. And for that reason, I, you know, have always continued to admire his work ethic and his drive and his, you know, will to win and all the things that he brings to the table for our team.

and yeah, just have a lot of respect for how he's handled all of it, you know, throughout the course of the last 10 years. So how has that changed? This is one of my favorite questions to ask all you guys because this car is so much different. I felt like we could all get in the old car. We didn't need to practice. We didn't need to go to the simulator. We didn't care what the setup sheet said.

And how have you guys adapted to get to the point where you're winning races, you're running in the front, doing the things that you need to do. How has that dynamic of the relationship between the crew chief, you and Alan, changed over the past few years with this car in the process? Because it's a much different process. It is. And it's been a slow process for us. I mean, I've been really honest about that.

You know, this thing has challenged me in ways that I didn't want to be challenged in for sure. And, you know, I don't think I'm alone in that boat. I think there's some other guys that have had similar struggles. But regardless, yes, I do think that the feel that you're looking for behind the wheel is a little different in this car than it is in the other one. And for me, it's been in a way that I just didn't grow up wanting, you know, or searching for that particular feel in the car. So I feel like I've had to kind of relearn and kind of re-relearn. and kind of rewire my brain to do things, you know, behind the wheel that I historically wouldn't have done. So our process, I would say week to week has not changed a ton in as it pertains to the

structure of it, but certainly the areas that we put emphasis on have changed. And, you know, I think that for me, it's like, man, I know, like on weeks where we're, really struggling. Like, yes, I'm sure that, you know, maybe the car can be a little better here or there, but I just really have always felt like I've got to get us into a position to succeed, and I don't feel like I have done a great job of adapting to doing that. So I've tried to look inward, I think, more than I have anything on just how to make this deal go better. Because I just know how strong our team is. And they've done such a great job of picking me up and helping learn this process together. So have a ton of, you know, a ton of confidence in

them and just feel like it's been a big learning process for me probably more than it has been. So who delivers the message on the radio? Hey, driver, you're using too much breaks. Is it Alan? Or does he go through the spotter? No, it's usually him. Okay. Yeah. And I want that. That says a lot. Yeah. And I want that from him because, you know, And this is where the respect thing comes in. I think a lot of times, like, I want him to have confidence in whatever call he's fixing to make. Because if he has confidence in a call, I want to make that work. You know, because that's what he feels like is right.

And I think sometimes, you know, me driving, it's hard for, it's hard for guys that don't drive and understand how minute the sensations are that we're looking for to see that in data, you know, you can pick up big stuff, but a lot of times there's not big stuff to pick up. And you kind of start to reach for squiggly lines that might be lying to you. You know, sometimes that stuff can lead you a little bit astray. So a lot of times we'll, you know, we'll have conversations about little things here or there about the data or maybe if we're going to a certain track, I might say, hey, you know, if you can just pay attention to this and this for me. You know, that would be a big help, you know, throughout the race.

But he also doesn't like telling me how to drive either. And, um, but some days, that's what's necessary. And if that is what it takes, then he will. And I certainly will hear that out. Yeah. Well, it always comes better from the crew chief. I always felt like it came better coming from the crew chief than it did the spotter. So I agree with that. I mean, I think that, you know, they're down there in the fight. Like, they have access to a lot of information. and it's tough, you know, like spotters are, they have a lot going on too, but they, you know, crew chiefs and engineers and the guys on the box can see that data real time and have a really good feel for what's going on.

But, you know, and also from the same token, I do like if, you know, if, you know, Trey's up top and he sees something that's really glaring to him, I want to hear that, you know, as well. So, yeah. I like information and, you know, certainly at the end of the day, I just want to, I'm trying to do better for all of us. I used to tell our guys, evolve or die. And, you know, if you sit stagnant, you're going to get left behind. So it's a, it's a tough balance as to what you get for the information. So you guys start the year, get a brand new car.

Laid out is going to be the best thing on earth, been there, done that. And then you go to the racetrack and, and I've sat in the booth a hundred times and told Clint, he's like, man, they're going to kill him. I'm like, no, they're not. It's going to be a certain type of track or it's going to be something that they don't see. I said, this is the most finicky race car you've ever imagined in your whole life. And it seems like it's been that way with the new body and trying to get the balance right. I know you guys won at Martinsville. You were good in practice, you know, had a great car in the race.

How's that process been to get into the season thinking that this is going to be way better than what you had and then to have to struggle to figure out what it wants as we went through the first few weeks. You know, you're exactly right. I know you've lived it. And I've lived it once, too. This is the second time I've gone through a body change that you know, you see things on paper and you expect something and you don't necessarily get exactly what you're expecting when it comes time to go compete.

So I'm sure if you went back and pulled a lot of my interviews over the winter, I would probably be more in the direction of what you're saying just because I want to see, I want to see where we're at before I even start talking. And I don't mean just see where we're at at one track. I want to see where we're at every type of track that we have to go to. So it's been really funny because some places I don't really notice a huge difference. Like I thought, I thought Vegas, you know, we go out there really pretty competitive, honestly. And my car didn't drive a whole lot different than what I felt like it drove last fall. Go to some of these other places like Phoenix.

Like, you know, that was a huge departure from what I remember having there last fall. And kind of same for even, you know, something like Atlanta, which I wasn't really expecting. So I think there's still some questions that, you know, we're trying to answer and work through. But it is not as simple as people think. and it is something that takes time, and you are totally right. This thing is the knife edge that you live on of getting the balance exactly right is very, very thin. And it takes some, you know, it takes some trial and error. And I do think Hendrick Motorsports as a whole does a really good job of intaking that data and being able to process it and come back better.

and I look forward to going to a lot of these places for the second time, you know, once we understand. So what do you think the weakest piece of it is, mile and a halfs? No, I think the weakest piece probably was Phoenix and Darlington for us. You know, kind of look at the simple diffuser package of kind of some of the struggles that we fall at those two racetracks. I thought were just a little greater than what I remember them being last fall. I mean, Vegas, I thought we were all pretty good, you know, and I would say that was from a defute, like a full diffuser standpoint, that was the, have we been anywhere else with a full one outside of that?

Oh, now you're getting tricky on me. I don't think so. I don't think so. So, you know, if you kind of take that as your just normal mile and a half weekend, I thought that was probably our strongest. Probably the least amount of things that have changed without the diffuser and the body and everything is, well, it's a bit. It's been interesting to watch, and obviously it's Hendrick Motorsport. So you guys will get it all dialed in.

It's hard to explain to people how much time and how hard it is to get these cars right. We had a very intense moment here back several years ago. And I think it was an interesting night. I think my favorite part about that night is I don't think people realize, I mean, we're not best friends, but I know you pretty well. have been around you for a while from when you started at at J.R.M. And my favorite part of that night was I said, hey, we're going to go inside the hauler. And Josh and all the people that were around,

you're like, you guys can't go in the hauler. I'm like, no, we're going to go in the holler because I don't want to look at all you people anymore. Yes, agreed. I was tired of it. And so that we could just get in there and talk about things. But that's what Bristol does to you. Like, no matter how well you get along with somebody,

or how much you know somebody, at some point you're going to run into somebody that you know well, you like. What do you think your Bristol moment was? I know that I've had a few of them. Yeah. What was your most intense Bristol moment that you remember? Probably that one. That one?

I mean, I would say, like, I don't really think I've had many other run-ins here that I can think of off the top of my head. There's been some good ones. There's been some good ones with Earnhard, Labani. I mean, I would say that was probably my biggest one. I mean, I remember, you know, we were staying there talking and, yeah, the crowd just kept getting bigger. And I think everyone, the look on everyone's face when you and I decided to go inside and talk was very much thinking that was not a good idea. But I'm like, look, you know, I thought it was a great thing to be able to go and have a conversation.

and I feel like there was enough mutual respect to go and do that. Even with the difference of opinions at the end of the day, I think there were lessons learned on both sides from that situation. And I think that's also what those big moments do. There are lessons learned. That's right. They're fun now. Whether you're on the good end or the bad end of it, they are.

And you can look back and have a laugh and take that experience and be better from it. And that's what I always tell people that, what would you do different? I'm like, well, I'd have done a lot of things different. But I would have never learned what to do unless I had those moments. And even as long as we went, it was, it was, as long as I went through my career, still, I'd never stopped having learning moments until the very end. So it was, it was interesting. So as we've gone through, as we've gone through these last couple months, your dad is back

in a race car. Last time you guys raced against each other was probably the SRX race. I would say so. it's been a minute. Yeah. And so he's been in a Trans Am car. He's been in a, they're at the IROC event that they, that they had at 10-tenths motor club. And I was talking to you beforehand. You said he doesn't even, he doesn't even tell you. Man, you don't know where he's going to end up. I can't keep up with him. Yeah. Man, he, he's off racing stuff, you know, driving cars, this and that, all the time. Yeah. Man, if you can keep up with him on a weekly basis, you are doing something.

special. He's a hard guy to keep up with. Do you think as he's, since he's involved in it, do you ever see yourself doing like one more race with him? Do you guys ever, do you ever, do you ever stop and think about that? And the only reason I ask that is because it's not very often, like I had no intention of racing with Keelan, but it's been one of the coolest things that I ever got to do. And, and, you know, as he gets older and you get older, I mean, it might be. Is there one more left in there for, for you guys to just have, do something fun like that together? You probably haven't even thought about it, have you? I have. Um, and I want to say yes, I want those moments. I want more of those moments because I do think that is a really special

thing to be able to share with somebody who there's not many people in your life that totally get what you're going through that you do on a weekly basis. Um, and when that person is your dad, that is a very rare thing. Um, and something. that I know not everyone understands you understand that oh yeah and I know that you're grateful for for that I know Keelan will be extremely grateful for that if he's not already no one day so for that I'm I'm so fortunate and and I get it but man the moment that we had in Nashville at that SRX race was so top tier that I almost don't want to do it again it was like everything I ever

could dream of from racing against him, the environment, the energy, the crowd. Like, he laid it out there. I felt like he was racing. You know, he got out of that car, and, you know, he looked like he had just run 875 laps here in, like, 1985. And he, you could just tell, like, he wanted to beat me so bad that it was, it was killing him. but also at the same time we had so much fun with that

and I just don't know that we could ever tee that up and have a night be more fun you know I got to share the podium with with him and Tony Stewart which you know Tony was a hero of mine and to see Dad get up on the wheel like he like I haven't seen him get up on the wheel like that in so long and so yeah

just so much about that was perfect and I think for that reason I don't need to. You don't need it again. Yeah. Well, that's pretty cool because it's hard to find you're, I mean, you're on the other side of it. You're on the sun's side, but as a dad, it's hard to find something that is so rewarding to be able to watch your son be able to go out there and do what you did for your whole life and be able to do that door to door is something that I never got to experience. So I'm glad that you had that, we're able to have that top-notch experience.

and it doesn't sound like you need to do it again, but it'd be fun for all of us. For sure. And I know that, like, I know that there are people out there that would want to see that. And I, and it's not to be confused with, that I wouldn't enjoy it, but I just think that that one was so special

and so cool and so good. I'm like, man, that's great. I just don't think we're going to top that. Like, let's, I'm good with it. Well, thanks for taking the time. Congratulations on winning at Martinsville. Thank you. Thank you.

Here at Bristol and appreciate the time. Thank you. Appreciate it.