Regan Smith: Surpassing Elliott?

By Joey Gucciardo @GucciardoJoey

(AP Photo/Tim Sharp)

If you are a Regan Smith OR Chase Elliott fan, then this article is for you.

Many people on our Facebook page say that Chase Elliott is going to be the 2014 +NASCAR Nationwide Series champion.

He had one win in his rookie Truck Series career last year, and that was when he took out Ty Dillon to win at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

Dale Earnhardt JR. must have seen something in the kid and hired him to join Cup Series star Kevin Harvick and Nationwide Series regular Regan Smith.

For the Chase Elliott fans, Chase has three wins this season, and 14 Top-5's to go along with that.

MORE: Elliot's stats on Racing Reference

But what about Smith?

Well, he's got nine years under his belt in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (XFINITY Series in 2015). He's four career wins in the series. Two of them in 2013, one this year, and the other in 2012.

MORE: Smith's stats on Racing Reference

Not to mention, he has a Sprint Cup win, something that Elliott doesn't have.

But how is that fair if Elliott never competed in the Premier Sprint Cup Series?

Well, you'd think that three wins in a rookie season would mean that your team owner lets you do at least ONE or TWO cup races, right?

But I'm not saying that Elliott would get his first Cup Series win the first race he ever ran in.

Chase is sort of like a 2002 Jimmie Johnson, who was able to beat the big boys that ruled their respective NASCAR series. For Johnson, at the time, it was the Winston Cup (Then NEXTEL Cup, now Sprint Cup), and for Elliott, the now Nationwide Series, which will be called the XFINITY Series in 2015.

But can Regan Smith surpass the successful Chase Elliott?