Mark Martin

The NASCAR Cup series is America's premier racing circuit, with a rich history of larger-than-life champions and a tall-tale origin story rooted in Prohibition-era bootlegging and rum-running. But the real fuel to the sport's popularity is the need for speed and the thrill of the all-out competition — which often runs as close to the edge as possible.

Chase Elliott was less than a mile-and-a-half away from a career-defining first win at Martinsville last October. Taking the checkered flag would have qualified him for the four-driver shootout at Homestead-Miami Speedway and vaulted him into the superstardom that the NASCAR industry has predicted for him for the last two-plus years.