Is it fair to position Chase Elliott as the potential savior of NASCAR?

Everyone has high hopes for Chase Elliott, but are we placing too much of a burden on him to carry NASCAR into its next era?

There’s no question that Chase Elliott is already very popular. Despite competing in just his third NASCAR Cup Series season at age 22, he already has his own merchandise trailer at the tracks. He’s handsome, has a legendary NASCAR family name and is undeniably talented, though he’s still hunting for that elusive first victory at the sport’s top level.

For many people, that’s not enough. There’s an expectation that Elliott is the driver who can take the baton from all of the stars who have recently retired and the big names soon to follow them. The word “savior” is never really said aloud, but there’s an undertone to the things some say about Elliott that carries that connotation.

Kevin Harvick was the latest to lean in that direction with his comments before the upcoming Kansas night race. He used the word “megastar,” which might as well be a synonym for savior at a time when NASCAR is struggling with attendance, TV ratings and overall interest.

"He’s done a great job of carrying himself. He’s the next Dale Jr. … Is he going to win enough to be the megastar? At some point.He’s a star right now. Winning takes you to that next level of being a bigger star. Chase Elliott winning is better for our sport."

It’s hard to argue that last part of those statements. If Elliott would start winning, it really would be better for NASCAR, and the sooner the better. Because he’s the son of Bill Elliott, himself a ridiculously popular and successful driver during his time, he’s arguably the only Cup Series competitor with a chance of drawing lapsed fans back into the fold. If he wins while he’s still under 25, it would cause the people complaining about NASCAR’s constant hyping of its “young guns” to back down a little as well.

But let’s consider what we’re asking of Elliott. That he will assume the title of Most Popular Driver from Earnhardt Jr. is almost a given. Yet Dale Jr. never won a championship and totaled a relatively modest 26 Cup Series wins, less than two a season over his 19-year career.

Are we really expecting Chase Elliott to be as well-loved as Dale Earnhardt Jr. and to win more races, like some kind of Junior-Jimmie Johnson hybrid? Can he possibly fill the void left by Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jr., and soon, Johnson himself? Could he singlehandedly restore NASCAR to its glory days?

It seems like madness when you talk or type it out, but those are the kinds of impressions you come away with when Elliott’s name comes up. He can’t possibly live up to that kind of hype, because no one can.

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So let’s all let Chase be Chase and develop at whatever speed he musters. Root him on, yes. Picture him as the most prominent name among a wave of up and coming talent, absolutely. As NASCAR fans and observers, though, we need to chill with the savior talk, no matter what verbiage is used to covey it, because it isn’t fair to him, just as it wouldn’t be fair to anyone.