NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon issues verdict on Chase Elliott crew chief hate

NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon was full of praise for Chase Elliott's crew chief, Alan Gustafson, following Sunday's Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

Elliott drove his No. 9 Chevrolet to Victory Lane in the Cook Out 400, holding off a dominant and charging Denny Hamlin in the closing stages of the race, having gained good track position in part thanks to a fantastic strategy call from Gustafson on top of the pit box.

The NASCAR community is no doubt full of praise for Gustafson following the event, but unfortunately, the same can not always be said.

Such is Elliott's popularity - he's been voted NASCAR's most popular driver for the last eight years - a section of his supporters often criticize Gustafson and the calls he makes online, blaming him for Elliott's lack of wins relative to some of the other stars in the sport.

Gordon backs Gustafson

Post-race, however, Gordon, who is Vice President at Hendrick Motorsports, dismissed that criticism as nonsense, revealing that he has full faith in Gustafson, who was also his former crew chief in the latter stages of his career.

"I get to say this because Alan was my crew chief, I love the work and effort he puts in, how smart he is, the team he builds," Gordon told the media at Martinsville.

"Nobody is a tougher critic than he is of the team and their performance.

"Luckily, you’re [Gustafson] not even on social media, right? You’ve always seen this, right? Whether it was Dale Earnhardt Jr. or Chase Elliott, whoever is the popular driver in the series, there’s a lot of critics that want to sit on the sidelines and evaluate it.

"You cannot let that tear you apart. You've got to keep strong on the inside and believe in yourself and believe in your team, all the things you’re doing. That’s what Alan and Chase fall back on."