Dale Earnhardt Jr. Explains Why Chase Elliott Can Afford to Be More Selfish Than Alex Bowman at Hendrick Motorsports

Chase Elliott won the Cup Series race at EchoPark Speedway last Saturday, thanks to a timely push from teammate Alex Bowman. Though Bowman could have gone for the win himself, he chose to help Elliott — a selfless move that earned widespread praise. But Dale Earnhardt Jr. explained in a recent conversation with TJ Majors why Bowman had no choice but to be so giving in the moment.

Elliott is a Cup Series champion and arguably the most popular NASCAR driver on the planet. His standing within Hendrick Motorsports is higher than that of Bowman. This allows him to carry a slight tinge of selfishness on the race track.

On the other hand, a driver like Bowman, who doesn’t have his future as secure, doesn’t have that luxury. He would likely have drawn heavy criticism from fans and the suits at Hendrick Motorsports had he attempted to win the race and failed. Junior detailed this vividly.

“Chase can be Chase. Chase can go out there and be selfish and do what he wants for himself, and he should. Alex isn’t really afforded that same leeway because he’s not won enough races or a championship,” Dale Jr. said.

“They’ve won the same number of races, honestly, in the last couple of years. But Chase is the most popular driver and also the champion. He’s got long-term equity built up in that team,” Junior added.

As unfair as this may sound, it is the harsh reality of invisible hierarchies in motorsports. Notably, there have also been rumors about Bowman’s seat at Hendrick Motorsports being in trouble over the last few years.

Elliott feels for Bowman and his team

The final push that Bowman gave Elliott in the last lap is what led him to cruise past Brad Keselowski and win. Elliott admitted this and appreciated his teammate in his post-race interviews.

Elliott said, “He and I both knew that the only shot we as a company had at that juncture was to line up and push and hope that something worked out good in our favor because at that point it was two on one. Whether it was he or I — obviously we both wanted to win — I recognize that he gave me a great shove.”

Bowman finished the race in third place. Elliott continued to express hope that the No. 48 team can reach Victory Lane soon, since they have been really fast.