NASCAR star Chase Elliott makes emotional Hall of Fame case for family member

Chase Elliott took some time at the end of his media availability to advocate for a family member's NASCAR Hall of Fame case this weekend.

Elliott's father Bill is already ensconced in the Hall and has been since 2015, but his uncle Ernie Elliott was added to the ballot for the first time this year too.

Ernie Elliott was Bill's crew chief for 279 Cup Series races, the pair picking up 33 wins and 39 poles together, including two Daytona 500s, two Southern 500s, the inaugural Winston Million in 1985 and the 1988 championship.

His work as an engine builder was also among the very best in the sport, winning Engine Builder of the Year in 1985 and Engine Builder of the Decade for the 1980s.

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Ernie Elliott up for NASCAR Hall of Fame

After answering the media's questions at Watkins Glen this weekend, the Hendrick Motorsports driver took a minute to to go bat for his uncle's Hall of Fame case.

“You know I know there’s a lot of very deserving names on the ballot and nominated, I know some of you guys in the room are probably on the panel and vote and all those things," he said.

“I know, I’m not sure if a lot of the fans know this, but they also count for a vote as well, from a fan vote online. I think it’s important for people to talk about that. I would be remiss to not talk about my uncle Ernie who was nominated and on the ballot.

“You know, 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.

"And I don’t think you’d 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.

"You know, and 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, you know, racing super late model races and all those things.”