Chase Elliott talks Talladega win, Bill Elliot's career | Letarte on Location Podcast

well welcome back to another edition of Letarte on location I'm your host Steve Letarte and today a cool location Dawsonville Georgia the Dawsonville pool hall and if you come to Dawsonville I think there's only two people you're allowed to talk to and it's either Bill Elliott or chase Elliott today chase Elliott Chase thanks for joining me man oh thanks for coming here I'm usually going to Charlotte for you guys hey this is cool you coming down I've heard so much about it first we have to let's get right to the news at hand right congratulations hey Quinn Talladega listen winds fixed the whole world I have to feel good to win yeah it definitely feels good you know obviously we want to do it is off this boss absolutely you know sunday was a good one and things we were talking about before we got started things really just kind of worked out and right to win those races they kind of have to so it was a good day for it so the long track stuff will be you know analyzed by everybody understand I want to talk about the non track stuff and what I mean is so Talladega is special in my heart not just I mean not really racing I'm not a huge restrictor plate fan but man the place right it's a party it's a for sure when you got done doing the burnout and you took your helmet off to start/finish line were you surprised I mean that was a popular win it's not like a hometown yeah it was unbelievable I've told a lot of people this you know just it's always Talladega is always kind of felt a little bit like a home race for me because I have a lot of friends a family who want to come over there because it's close but the fans after the race I mean in the stands I've never felt I've never felt that connected with a crowd before ever and when I got fired up they got fired up when I was standing up you know they were obviously standing up I think there for the last little bit but you know when when you can just have a crowd and be one with that crowd like that is something I've never experienced in my career before may not ever experience it ever again so gonna definitely enjoy that and you know that that's just a moment you wish you could freeze and unfortunately you can't they go by too quick happens they do we're gonna circle back to your popularity I've had some experience up in the booth for your win and walkins Glen some places I remember the crowd was crazy but real quick I want to talk about where we're at so the pool hall yeah so I you know how maybe was too young man I knew your dad when he drove and I can't but it was no social media there was not quite the coverage there is today but then this place grew this in infamy that this place existed that they supported the Elliots like how did it become what do you know what this place what do you remember like did this become the Elliott I think a lot of it starts to Gordon Buerkle he owns the place okay and you know he was obviously around lived around here very familiar with my family my dad my two uncles my grandfather has lived here his whole life as well so that's really where it started was with him and I think his support of their racing in and you know all the stuff on the wall I was gonna say walking around he respect a cool you know but but just their success I think in the 80s and just how much pride I think everybody around here took in that and a lot of people worked at the shop that lived around here I mean obviously it's not a big town it wasn't even smaller then and they were running a I forget the cup shop was here is here yeah they run a cup operation about five miles from here you know in 1988 it's the lunch bottom this is crazy today about you know so I just think it was such a big deal at the time and and there was just so much going on that you know revolved around that race team that anybody in town knew about it and was gonna was gonna be behind it well I loved it driving in today to talk to you it wasn't just a pool hall I love the small town atmosphere there was congratulations to you kind of all over town I love the fact that a town gets behind kind of one of their own I think that's cool but you mentioned your dad and back in the 80s so there's these pictures that's kind of circulate of you famously as a child so you know why we know what Charlie so my dad in New England built race cars four locks or 250 and all that and there are these pictures of me at Docs for 250 and I don't remember yeah and I was too little so for you we've seen the pictures I think it's Indianapolis all the famous ones yeah when are your first memories of being at the racetrack with your dad yeah so that obviously they're scattered right yeah right at that age they're very scattered but when you're a kid I think you recognize big moments and obviously you can tell what's something special so I do have a couple memories of of Indianapolis what do you want the Brickyard because I just remember be and just absolutely amazed by the you know when you win there they used to take the cars up on this liftgate thing and I just thought that was the coolest thing ever remember that is a televator Victory Lane yeah yeah I remember and blowing a tire at Homestead I'm on the last last corner yeah and I think Bobby Labonte beat him yeah I forgot about that you're right ed Mike Ford I want to say with the creature my my father's crew chief through both right they had had a lot of success and the last one I remember I remember him winning his last race a couple things about that I remember he beat Jimmy which was pretty cool because Jimmy was getting started I think he was a rookie and he was obviously killing it you know came in and was having all the success and I remember it all the hype around him and then just remember him beating him that hey you know take taking it to the young guys so I thought that was kind of cool and then Victory Lane it was like a popcorn sponsor of some sort yeah popcorn and just feet I mean it was like the car and it was just an rockingham pop secret 400 yeah like I remember that's what it was the pasta so I remember like think I ask somebody can I eat popcorn like a popcorn it's opposite in the victory line eating the popcorn you know that's outstanding so those those pictures as I mentioned they're everywhere but then so that is you know the son of a racecar driver so how about you as a racecar track where when what did you start driving where'd it all start yeah started close to here so always kind of live when we lived in Georgia we've always lived around around North Georgia so when I was born between Dawsonville Blairsville and then we spent a couple years out in Colorado so always been around here those - those two years but it's been kind of centered around this area and all the racing has always been centered around here because of the race shop being up the road you know it makes too much sense not to utilize that facility and whatnot that they've had for so long so yeah trying to think Blue Ridge mini Speedway was the first place I ran a race it was a dirt go-kart place I started racing that we ran some there another town called Chatsworth up up north of here what age we talk about eight seven eight all right and then after that we dad did what was I guess he had just quit racing full-time or he was quitting racing full-time all around that time and then that was when he made the decision he wanted to move to Colorado that was always a favorite vacation spot of his so the way it kind of worked out finally had his schedule where he had a schedule back and he could do what he wanted so that was really one to live obviously I had no say in that which is fine yep as I shouldn't as a eight year old so could you tell my fifteen year old because he thinks he's in charge of everything off we went no yeah off we went and it was honestly a lot of fun I think at the time I was a little skeptical of it you know as a kid you grow up when you have friends right I think you're afraid to leave them but you know made great friends out there I still talk to you this day and was able to go at the outdoors and snowboard and skateboard ride dirt bikes and anything outdoors it was the place to do it so appreciative of those years got to race some shifter karts out there when I was their shifter and tag go-karts much like you know you see up it up in Mooresville track so things very similar to that so we're in a couple years of that stuff when we lived there and it kind of got to the point where I think dad was was still traveling around to give it at the time it was a few things that weighed in I think that was one of them there was really nothing else to race beyond go-kart South it wasn't a very race oriented area yeah so it kind of got to the point where if I was gonna do any more racing we had to get back east and they don't whant made sense to get close to here and get close to the race shop and get somewhere where we could do some racing and that was really kind of where I feel like it really all started things got a little more serious our racing legend cars and then when the late model days approached that was when things really began and was able to have some success and that kind of led the James Finch James Finch led to mr. Hendrick and yeah we are so you mentioned late model days I always try to do some research and this gem came up yeah 2009 Sports Illustrated article yeah it's a 13 year old chase Elliott that's what but I tell you what what's he what fascinated me was an article about I want to say 10 or 15 up-and-coming teenagers and and I don't we just talked about this you weren't aware it was you yeah Jordan speith did not know that who has pretty solid career as well all right yeah right and if Lexi Thompson who's a big LPGA player those three names jump right off the page right away so 13 this young man late-model in the background this is what late-model stock what we drive that was a straight rail late-model just it was a crate as a pro late model what that was but yeah that's crazy honestly I remember this article and I remember the photo like I write I recognize the photo but I did not know that those that's crazier stuff that's very cool it I guess I don't know like in my mind people are you Jordan speith when you become these stars we forget of your age I don't know if that's fair unfair like I don't know and I'm not the one to judge but you could be 30 right like just because your resume your succession maturity on the racetrack much like his on the golf course so I thought that Jim I brought that yeah oh yeah so we talk late models last night when I was a kid I don't enjoy photoshoots much more now than I did second that's a pretty big smile you got there brown absolutely hated no I still don't like it and I don't know I'm not a big fan I don't have a lot of patience so and my mom she was a photographer for many years that was her I heard my dad met and so she was always in charge of taking the photos and I mean we would that makes it even worse Oh bad taking pictures so yeah that was one of those days I think a Christmas card is hard to take with my kids you got to do you can promo shoots you have no idea that's outstanding right now I have to have around to just to go into that I like that though mom photographer so late my so listen I love greasing I grew up in the Northeast though ox were 250 right so when I was looking you up I knew you had won a lot of late-model stuff but I call this the Grand Slam all-american 400 in Asheville snowball Derby couple times the world crown 300 aggression and the Winchester 400 you want all fought like you know the Gaul I'm a golf guy right that is the Grand Slam in my mind of late-model racing yeah and what I love is not only have you won a by following on social media now there was some motor debate back then I see you chirp in in the late-model world so you me still be plugged in to that world I still enjoy it still enjoy watching it would love to maybe go and find a race to compete in it's kind of hard to but yeah that those were to me the years that shaped all this stuff you know and I think anything prior to that was kind of just getting started and and you're certainly learning along the way right and and technically it started before them but just those those few years from like 2009 to 2011 like those 11 12 those few years of late-model racing were so I get my math right so 2009 you talking 13 14 15 yeah and when you unload at any of those I just listed you know I don't want the the so obviously the race fans gonna know for the non race fan that listens to this you know this isn't basketball or baseball we're its age divisions right under 15 age division when you unload at the all-american 400 as a 14 year old kid no one cares that you're a 14 year old kid right now they race you like a like a grown man it's it's boy shield which I love that and I think that also kind of made me grow up quick right right as moments and and you know I look back and I'm thankful that you know we went I remember the first night I went to Pensacola got my ass handed to me Augie grill above a Pollard came around and lapped me like Yeah right and I was thinking dang I've got a long ways to go like these boys are absolutely way way way ahead of me so I appreciate nice like that and and I absolutely I love staying plugged in I feel like that you know those few years really gave me the opportunity to be where I'm at because that put me in front of the right people and when I mean the right people I mean James and and Ryan in you know down in Panama City and he was you know big fan of snowball Derby and that was really why I was even in the conversation at mr. Hendrix so I think those those few years were extremely important and the success of those couple years were you know we're pretty lucky add a few good ones well you mentioned James Finch so for those of those who don't know Xfinity Racer had some cup cards he's had stuff all over the time construction guy down on the panhandle of Florida he's always at the snowball Derby that's where it is okay I think everybody knows the Hendrick years okay because but but just connect the dots right how does a guy go I mean don't get me wrong right your dad's famous Hall of Famer you can drive you're winning the right stuff but that doesn't really guarantee anything how did the dots get connected where you ended up with mr. Hendrix radio cuz I remember I work there and when you're like I was 16 years younger than me I mean young kid at the time yeah for sure I'm sure all you guys were like what the hell is this guy doing which you know I get it I wanted to earn my place to write and I think as much as you guys were uncomfortable with me being around I was probably in the same boat thinking what am i doing thinking I didn't belong and and I really probably didn't either just from the standpoint of I wanted to earn my place there and I didn't want to be I don't want to be pushed upon people who didn't want me around you know so I was always really careful in those situations and I liked when I go somewhere I do something or if I'm racing for somebody I want to feel like I earned right I don't want to I don't want to be like it was handed to me you know so one thing about that place I can promise you is it's built on winning they would tell you if they didn't like that it's a great place to grow up because there's not a lot of sugarcoating right if you can't get it done on Saturday or Sunday well nice to know you right yeah definitely definitely a winning culture that the boss likes which is a good thing it's wise that's why he's been good but yeah just I guess to connect the dots to your question you know those few years and the reason I bring up James I you know I forget I did another interview a second ago I told this story I thought I was telling oh yeah right so we were started racing in Pensacola good bit obviously a big super late model world area kind of around the southeast and and James Finch who lives in Panama City I think he had a car sponsored a car down there so and he like you know loves the snow bald everybody loves Pensacola loves going over there and racing so was in front of him a lot and James doesn't like that well doesn't like I don't mean in front of him I mean okay I mean like him crowd him watch it yeah he doesn't like it's tough to get visa anyways so yeah we're there and and you know I didn't know this but apparently he was taking note or taking notice of some of the good runs we had at the point in time and he meant you know mentioned something to mr. Hendrick and when he did I think mr. Hendrick kind of thought about it and yeah and felt like he might want to help and he gave dad a call one day and dad and I flew to flew to Charlotte one afternoon after school sat down the boss picked us up from the airport personally drove us over the shop toward us around his facility sat down in his office and he said look he's like I don't really know what's next you know I think that was like 15 and he's like look I don't really know what's next or what what the right move is he said but I want to help and you know I can't there's no problem so who knows where this is gonna go things I just want to help and I think that you know I think we could then we could make something work so that was really where everything kind of started and and nothing was ever really promised he just wanted to help and he expressed that and really opened the door for everything else after that to transpire and obviously very lucky he did well that brings me so this is a question that I asked everyone who was fortunate enough to be a professional athlete when did chase Elliott wake up and say I'm gonna be like I don't like driving race cars I'm going to be a race car driver yeah this is what I'm gonna do for a living I to me the the I go back to the the short track and the late model years I mean those are some special years that things are going they were going pretty good had some great help Rikki Turner I feel like it was a lot of credit for that and he's a big is you know I feel like what for him and there's a lot of the guys as well but I felt like he was a big a big a big piece of running good at the right time and having success at Pensacola and and that was ultimately you know where James was and we're all that stuff stem from so gonna be good on the big stage right yeah you know and you know all that stuff's just just special but I do think those years I look back on and look things were getting pretty serious there was those aren't cheap years oh yeah we're not racing race night or so and it's tough to do sometimes is a 13 14 15 year old or whatever but you kind of have to step back and realize hey look this is a serious operation and if we're gonna do it when you did it right and I think that the success we were having kind of gave me some confidence and hey maybe I can go do this and do an okay job at it and everything kind of fell in and certainly still feel like I have a long ways to go but I made it this far so it's been good well that begs the question then if you weren't a racecar driver get old enough to consider doing something I mean you're talking so young did you ever have a dream yeah I really didn't I was always my dream and I was never really old enough to you're never forced that's awesome yeah you know enjoy flying maybe something aviation alright we're gonna get into that for sure Junior Motorsports rookie champion yeah so I was the crew chief for Dale junior in that race at Texas in April I thought we had a 1 run on the top with like 25 to go Dale's so good up top man we're killing I don't know killing everybody's fair we have 4 or 5 second lead yellow comes out pit cycle next thing I know here you go gone off the restart yeah did you mean you win your first race and the championship that's a magical year it was a big year and I feel like that was certainly the year that I felt like earned the the spot in the 24 car I felt like just the way all that line could not have been any better with Jeff you know wanting to be done when he was wanting to be done that year going as good as it did the kind of a decision had to be made somewhere right in there for because I'm you know I think Jeff knew what he was doing I think mr. Hendrick knew that he was probably a year or two from being done and just the way of that year went and it was really special in just the timing couldn't have worked out any better but that was big night remember that night y'all were better than us in the long run I was a little too loose to be good in the long run you guys were we're good and he had the top rolling but yeah the restart worked out well and we'll take it I'll be honest so a night when I talk to people and I kind of go back man I want to say even doing this 20 years or that's 2014 that's five years ago right it's crazy how I mean I have lost track with just you mean you won at the Cup level you're your most popular driver so many things it's hard to believe in a short short span and just you know it's just crazy to just sit back and think about like you talking about the short track days I mean 2009 was ten years ago I mean which is insane to think about you know I am feeling old and it really is weird to this be my fourth year in Cup I mean just all the stuff goes by so fast and as you know when you travel every week and you're on the road on Thursdays travel home on Sundays I mean a week's go by so okay and the years go by so fast and it's and I'm 23 I couldn't imagine I know what what it would be like in another 10 years right or whatever but maybe that's what I mentioned earlier too you know it's like you want to freeze these moments and enjoy them because they go by so fast you go to Victory Lane and everybody's throwing hats at you want to take pictures I don't listen they'll settle down enjoy the bigger why are we in hurry right I don't I don't get it sometimes when we have a bunch of personal stuff I want to get into after this but I kind of want to close out some of the racing stuff talking to chase Elliott here at the Dawsonville pool hall I want to talk car numbers it's as simple as that right you not only got a couple of hours for tchen --it enough to sweep the floor for Jeff Gordon in 1995 went full-time in 96 became his crew chief in 2005 I oh I'm only talking to you here today because Jeff Gordon and Ray Evernham gave some silly kid from Maine a chance to sweep the floors and then somehow Jeff thought I could be as crew chief which I appreciate I'm sure he got my best years so I owe everything to that 24 car that's where it all started a number that you know it's not like three or the nine like no one had that number had never been famous until Jeff was in it exactly then you were the guy to try to fill those shoes I don't know William buyer knows this but he owes you a debt of gratitude because he didn't have to be the first guy to follow the next one what was it like oh yeah I mean already going to the cup series and now taking that ride yeah you know I I said it then and I'll say it now honestly didn't put a lot of thought into it the number thing that makes you a great athlete by the way did not really didn't bother me it didn't it I don't think it ever really felt like home like it I didn't but you were driving his stuff well no like I didn't start racing go-karts and be one you know I didn't want to be number 24 I wanted over nine of course when it's not your favorite number he's like I you know just won the Xfinity championship in the nine right yeah I'm saying so it didn't feel like home from that standpoint but I didn't like it's not something that concern me you know like it doesn't make it go any faster slower what's on the side of the car you know so that was kind of my big thing in my head I'm like well it is what it is let's just go try to do good well then perhaps that means the next transition must have meant way more I mean absolutely put the nine on the door and we're here right there's there's the cours nine up there on the wall absolutely that's what I pick right I picture - what is it - twelve and that's what I see I see your dad one point eight oh nine yeah right now so then you get the chance to bring the nine with your name with an Elliott on the door to the game series to me it just feels right and I I don't know what seems like to you but like me walking out to the grid to get in the car like that's Mike that's my car buddy so you're number transition was easier for me like because you know as drivers move around it sounds awful put the driver in the wrong number misspeak but you're the one that i'm i don't know i can easily put you in the nine every time that's how I feel and I feel like that's how everyone feels about it - just feels right anybody who's followed my racing career I've always been that number right so it makes sense and I'm not taking anything away from my first couple years I mean it I felt I feel as on it's an honor to drive the 24 and and I wish I really just looking back on it I really wish we could have won a race and it should be though you know at the time hope William can add his name - to Jeff's legacy at some point but I really wanted to be the you know another person yeah right and in that car because he's the only one that and I thought that'd be a cool thing to do I say that it was also a very special moment to win my first race in the nine so it's like everything kind of has two sides to it and it all kind of happened for a reason I guess looking back on it well it has a quick career to your point but a lot to go I mean that's enough about racing and your career I want to get into the other stuff so this is one that so I'm a pet this is my pet peeve I don't know why it's probably unfair so I'm a Red Sox fan I know you don't like that the Braves guy yeah but if I go to a Red Sox in the Yankees game and the pitcher from the Yankees he's chatting up with a Red Sox lineup I'm not happy I'm fine if they're buddies I'm fine if they're in business together but I paid a ticket and for this moment you won't hate each other yes yeah so I say that because the garage area you have to have friends you see each other all the time so I'm at the track I see you Blaney that's the one I see the most out there throwing the football but when I go from the bus lot to the booth and I look down on the racetrack I can't tell your friends at all yeah and I love that because I can't say that about everyone in the garage I feel that everyone doesn't race everybody the same way it almost looks like y'all race each other harder it has to be quite honest so it just explained first of all how did you in Blaney like like how did this all work how'd you become such good boys well I mean I guess just state the obvious a little bit you know his dad obviously raced my dad race so we grew up around the racetrack a lot but I honestly didn't know him when I was real little like I don't remember hanging out right on the bus lot as a kid I didn't really meet or start hanging out with Ryan until he and I were racing late models together we we spent some time same age similar age he's a couple years older than me but we were racing late models at a similar time and I remember going to a couple events and he not carrying each other whatever kind of hit off became friends so I was probably 12 13 I guess at the time right so he would have been 15 and yeah we raced against each other some didn't see him a ton we ran some different series I feel like he ran you know some series around North Carolina yeah right I ran more of the stuff in Georgia Alabama and Florida and I didn't see him a ton but anyways yeah I kind of started there and after that always kind of stayed connected with each other along our paths and you know when you become good friends with somebody and then for us to kind of make our way to what is the highest level of what we were trying to achieve you know raced in the Cup Series it's pretty neat and you can't always share that with all your friends so yeah he not been good buddies for a long time and then yeah now I feel like you know look there's days where he's mad at me and there's days about mad at him or or whatever you know on the track but I think you know not even I say deep down but really not even that deep down like I get it you know and I think he does too and I've always appreciated that about his friendship because like he and I can you know get into it on the track I could be cussing him on the radio because of me and we won't say a word about it afterwards I was gonna ask you has you just no I mean you both know when you put the helmet on that's what you do I think that's just kind of the way it has to be and I applaud it look as a race fan as an analyst I like I said I applaud it from the booth I would have no idea I think ya know and you do a great job I got to know the helmet story so I was something the other day on social media might have been his house and your helmet so you guys exchange first one is yes if you get his I got here okay which is pretty cool again you know to grow up with a good friend and have a good buddy and you know kind of follow the roads and the roads lead to Cup for both of us and to have both won a race and Cup I think is really cool so he had actually already won at this point in time and he was one he was lobbying he wanted my 2014 championship helmet how much first win helmet he was like I don't know about that either I was like well how about this I bought if I ever win a race which at the point Tom it wasn't looking good but I was like if I ever win a cup race we should we should swap it's even right there same value seems like all right I'll do that so we yeah we we did it and luckily the day came and we we could swap so we did and turned out to be really cool deal I'm proud to proud to have that one well I think it's cool and I think I mean not only you guys buddies but your ages help in the world social media of your vacations whether you get invited or not there's a whole nother conversation oh yeah we've we've had some honestly we've had some great times and and some of our some of our trips travel in the world and they're second to none so does it for you more of those so so I want to start with we're here in Dawsonville man you are arguably the most popular racecar driver in the US if not all in North America how does a guy that popular decide to reside here in rural Georgia right I mean literally you have the means to kind of live everywhere anywhere you'd want how is this place home even still today well I just think honestly much like I've said before built by the foundation of my family and dad and kind of it's just comfortable it's comfortable and it feels like home I I really like North Georgia I feel like in a lot of you know you take take family history out of it right it's convenient you're kind of centered up in the southeast you're close to the Atlanta Airport and travel about anywhere in the world for the Atlanta Airport about an hour from Atlanta so but the good news is you're far enough away where you can kind of do your own thing it's right you're right here at the base of the mountains Appalachian Trail starts just just north of here which is kind of cool and it's a beautiful area so you take all those things it's really nice and then to kind of have the rest of it in I guess just the my dad's passion for aviation you know kind of spark my passion for it and and allowed me to get flying and I think that's really what allows me to live here I can kind of get back and forth and do what I need to do and obviously I still have a lot of obligations in North Carolina and that's where that's where HMS is located sorry you're never going to get out of having to be there a lot when everything is centered up there but luckily I didn't have to go up there today so I appreciate you coming down here so and got to enjoy a nice Monday Tuesday at the house that's always good so you kind of answered my question how you get into aviation but I mean I won't know the nitty-gritty like so you have a when you live here there's an airfield kind of near where you live you fly out of there so that all kind of makes sense to my brain cramps a little bit on Sunday night so you get done driving and then fly your cellphone yeah yeah now you have to cope up like like how does the fundamentals all that work yeah just well it depends on the week right so like sometimes like dad will travel with me or get somebody to ride with me if I don't think I want to feel good or something after the race but yeah some weeks just go and I mean a lot of the guys have have done this - absolutely yeah the last I mean Carl you know that every week you know so yeah it's uh as bad I'm jealous cuz as much fun as it is down here talking to you that for our I'm just not like I'm I am as impatient as you you want me there for hours in a car I'm like yeah you just jump the plane to get there so yeah and it's not that easy you know it's about are jumping why don't do it yeah yeah but you know anything that runs you know there's things that have to be done - right everything else but anyways yeah get you know you're done with race and and you know kind of look through what your trip ahead looks like you try to get a good idea what's going on with the weather and then then you know if you can't get on the road if not wait some weather out or do whatever you got to do so the good thing is like when dad's not there after the race you know I'll call him he's been watching the weather for me throughout the race you know kind of briefed the weather a little bit and talk about that and then I'll get a gander at it for sure before I leave and then off we go so you talk about your dad and how he gives you a little bit of heads up on the weather how about behind the wheel you know to have such a famous dad he from the public view has always been in the shadows right never is he up there really saying anything right but but there has to be points along your career where you pick up the phone and be like see anything I mean this is an exhausting job I mean it's crew chief the highs are great the lows are they emptier but like it when you are on a losing streak it's awful I've been there so I had people I leaned on right am I going crazy do I belong here what do I do or just how can I do my job better I mean you have a family member that has kind of lived this for sure and I think his his experience there is nice but you're right he's definitely had a laid back laid back approach and I appreciate that too because I feel like I've learned you know I've certainly learned the hard way on some if you don't if you don't learn the hard way in some areas you're never going to learn and you know honestly growing up and being around racing I you're very right I've been very lucky to have great drivers to lean on great family members who have been involved in it for a long time I have to this day I have a hard conversation talking I have a hard time talking about driving and like the the like we're talking about such small things on track like you just do like if Jimmy is kicking my ass at Dover like I couldn't go up to him and he's not he can't translate the feel he's looking for in his car for me to go replicate it I honestly think he would tell me right right if he knew how to describe that but like you're talking about such minut things like I don't know that you could ever extract that from someone's brain I think you have to go learn it you're gonna appreciate this so we are in Dover this is before you drove at Hendrick in the Cup Series I'd have been 14 the last year when you're infinity and we get in the debrief and I'm Dale's crew chief and Jeff's there and Alan's guy Jimmy's killing everybody yeah and he goes take us for a lap take us for a lap Jim Jimmy I Drive down into one and I'm gonna speed up the sort of a drive around at this point I get the part throttle I look for here and my car does this and it compresses and he takes us for this most colourful most well to drive land he's the best the best driving like I feel like I'm riding with yes the car right so I look at Dale jr. and I'm like hey man what do you think and he goes I don't even know what damn track he's on yeah and so then I look at Gordon who's wandering bunchy who's like who I'm glad you said that cuz I had no idea what he's talking about yeah and did your boy like you can't you cannot extract that and some no one can describe the feel that they're looking the you're talking about such a small differences that it takes to be really good or be great at a racetrack or win you can't I don't know how you could ever describe that into someone I feel like it's something you have to kind of find and but you're right Jimmy is incredible anytime it's funny to say this anytime we're in one of those debriefs and I'm having a hard time fixing to explain something I'm like Jimmy you go first maybe maybe you'll say it so I pick up off ya so I can describe this better Oh I'm good at it so we mentioned you live here in North Georgia you you're like have become it's not just Dawsonville Georgia zone right like Atlanta Braves big supporters right I see what the games they tell you Chipper Jones that was really cool what I think is great is you know whether it's Jimmie Johnson from Southern California whether it's Tony Stewart from Indianapolis you know everybody has I like that even Georgia is different in North Carolina it's only a couple states but it's a big difference and I love the fact that someone like you is proud of where you're at live where you're at and then even more importantly I love that the people in the area then support you you become there yeah favorite what does I mean what does that like with social media you kind of get to see or certainly helps that but yeah I mean I certainly as you said I'm a huge Braves fan chippers probably my all-time favorite brave to play and there's two folks that congratulated me on on Sunday which is super cool I mean I could never ask for anything more than that so yeah it's I mean I'm a big sports fan so anytime you can you know have the support of a favorite team is cool and yes definitely things like that make you feel like even more at home than it already is and I take a lot of pride living here I have the sticker on the car and I think it's it's cool one day we'll meet in the world's here big Red Sox guy Braves guys that ever happened that would be very cool do we need to get oh yeah that'll be a good time that's a deal and listen only sports guys can understand sports guys we're all dysfunctional that's what I understand like when sports are your career everyone else's hobby is your career it's I don't know it's weird other people that know it so we talk about hobbies you talk about flying so I follow you on social media all right Kevin Coleman you got to give me this I mean it was crazy looking stuff so yeah ride he runs what is that Red Bull Air Races out there right yeah he runs air race and they travel basically around the world so so Kevin does air race and then he also does air shows kind of really around the southeast or even just south he's really around the states in general to travel around and do them so so I'm out no way I'm riding in that oh man it's good it's fun it's fun and he's so good at it you know and he's much like me racing he's been doing it for so like like going to fly is such second nature to him but yeah it's uh I have a lot of interest in flying as you know and I think that stuff is really cool my dad was in aerobatics a little bit at one point time and I think it's just a cool skill to have it makes you a better pilot you know really understanding that stuff and for you pilots out there you know just you can it's easy to get lazy with your feet in an airplane because you know you get into some heavier airplanes and the rudder is not as not as important or you can get by without with being lazy with it but when you start flying you know stuff that Kevin flies and things that makes you realize how lazy you are with your feet and it just gets you better with everything and your hand-eye coordination I think and just makes you a better pilot if you can if you can get good at it so when I was doing my research because I want to know what a guy like you does for hobbies we mentioned when you and everybody else's hobby is your job you have to look for something but your website mountain Dew's been a longtime supporter it's like a mountain dew ad I mean you're on a snowboard you're on wakeboard yeah that's like that's like Mountain Dews brand yeah so what do you mean what do you do for fun yeah I mean here lately been flying more than anything they add in the wintertime love to snowboard obviously I think that comes from the Colorado time and living there and then we have some beautiful lakes around here so I love being on the water and the summer and wakeboarding and yeah really between that and race and that pretty much takes up covered it yeah right how about so we talked about blaming your famous friends but you still have friends here and you have local friends yeah like yeah I know they're faint and they should all be fans right but yeah when things aren't going good it's one thing to celebrate a win because that's everybody can celebrate a win yeah but when you have the bad weekends can they just let you unplug but your buddy hang out do whatever absolutely lucky to have have a handful of guys that I like to hang out with regularly and I have a couple friends who have softball teams and stuff around around here in different towns so if they need a hand I'll go play softball with them or whatever else or Tuesday's Monday's careful what you say around here I know mr. H he'll leave you come in with a twisted ankle they'll be knows but you'll be like a padded room now I'm gonna set that just hush no no you're not learn though as long as there's no precedent you're okay yeah that's why I don't you see me posting about the wise man wise men social medias to let people into a point that's right or not you know we're just wonder or just wonder I like that so listen we appreciate a look in your personal I almost circle back before we finish Hendrick Motorsports I was fortunate off to be here for the Jeff Gordon era the hand handing to the Jimmie Johnson era I'm gonna quote Jeff Burton so my coworker he said probably eighteen months ago and in his mind missus an opinionated statement that that is now your company you're gonna be the lead guy Jimmy obviously has the resume but you're the future Williams great kid young guy I think he has a great future Alex I think has a great future but I mean you're the guy there what's the dynamic when you have someone like Jimmy who listen he's a seven-time champ right he's the witness guy doesn't matter the stat if he's on the race track he's leading the stat exactly and he's your teammate but you know your car is fast may we can kind of leading that charge I think you said it right oh and you know those comments to me I just and you ride is an opinionated statement right that's why I don't quite agree with because I think anytime a seven-time champions in the building you're always he's always gonna be leading the banner and I don't care what anybody says that's always gonna be my opinion as long as he's there so I haven't met a cooler guy but you would never know he wants to know you're right you're right so I wanna try again when he's done yeah I'll tell Burt Mac is he'll let cuz because I has a laugh because I pick on Burton because I'm like well now listen you've been the old guy did you like it when you know and but I have to I tell you that's the toughest part of our jobs and Jeff and myself and Dale jr. talk about that is we are friends with all of you guys because we kind of have to be a very professional relationship but in the end my job is to call it just like I see it and there's times you're not gonna like what I have to say but I kind of work for the fans not you the Jeff's had that same comment and I kind of bring that back to your win in my mind a Hendrick Motorsports is as big as any as I can remember it has been a trying time just explain to the fan because I say it no one believes me a win is more value you all take for granted don't we like some of these guys make it look so easy yeah they do and I mean you know it's like I look at last year and and won three races and that was great and then I look over when you get to the next race and you're they put you in the garage dollars about points so whatever so you look over and yeah and 18s got seven stickers you know his name you know and over double alright man wins that we had so they always room for improvement and ultimately you want to like I want to put myself in that category like I want to go and be a guy that can win every week and I honestly feel like that I can do it I feel like our team can do it so that that's the that's where you want to get to that's the goal you know Championships and and stuff aside like I want to be a guy that can show up and add a sticker to my car wherever we go well and I think like like we pick on the other opinions that's an opinion but an opinion I agree with I think Alan is brilliant I think you have a tremendous amount of talent you could do it we're gonna finish on I crew chief or the most popular driver you now seem to have taken that off his mantle since he's retired and I was in the booth at Watkins Glen which by the way some of the best driving I've seen so many opportunities for mistakes corner after corner after corner last year when you held off Truex but more than that I felt that crowd yeah when you take the lead I know you felt at the Talladega this last weekend but when you take the lead it is like no one else is that relief is it more pressure do you think about it what's it like to be in that position it's on it's really not any more pressure I think it's it's really just cool to me like I just think that's awesome you know that many people genuinely want to see you do well when that's the case and the other thing I look at that too is that may not always be that way right I mean who knows oh yeah Johnson's guarantee no nothing's guaranteed and things change right so they might find somebody else they like here a few years or whatever so I think that's great you know and it doesn't make you necessarily go any faster that people want to see you do go order people want to see you too bad right they root against people everywhere yeah that's right and doesn't it doesn't bother them so I think same goes on the good end of it but certainly a few fuels you do want to do good for the people that are pulling for you that's the case all the time but you know to see the fire after the race this weekend was certainly you know just meant a lot I mean I can't really describe that like I said before I've never really felt that much in tune and that much one with everyone watching and it was a special experience again congratulations the win at Talladega was spectacular I appreciate your time as a cool location for sure it's always fun to talk super talented on the racetrack I think even more importantly just a great guy away from the racetrack I could see why all your partners like you see why the fans like you lucky to call you a friend it's been a good time preciate you coming out this is another edition of Letarte on location you can subscribe on itunes rate and review and let us know what you think awesome thanks hey motor sports fans thanks for watching make sure you hit subscribe before you go for all the latest news and highlights across motorsports

Channel: Motorsports on NBC

Views: 91,242

Keywords: NBC Sports, NBC, NASCAR, MENCS, Chase Elliott, Bill Elliott, Steve Letarte, Racing, Talladega

Id: xTy8yfnFpEg

Length: 44min 25sec (2665 seconds)

Published: Wed May 01 2019