Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Atlanta would be fitting place for first Chase Elliott Cup win

Chase Elliott is 8/1 to win at Atlanta.
Chase Elliott on his goals for 2018:
"Atlanta will always be a special place for me. I remember watching the races from the playground as a kid in the driver/owner lot. Haven’t raced a ton here, but I was able to get the pole in 2014 in the Xfinity Series. I would love to make some more memories to go down in the book at Atlanta."

Driver: Chase Elliott 
Hometown: Dawsonville, Georgia
Age: 22 
Resides: Dawsonville, Georgia

Dawsonville, Georgia, native Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, will be available to members of the media on Friday, Feb. 23, at 1:20 p.m. local time in the Atlanta Motor Speedway media center.

NAPA AUTO PARTS CAMARO ZL
1: NAPA AUTO PARTS will return to the hood of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Last week, it was announced that the Atlanta-based company has grown its relationship with 12-time NASCAR Cup Series champions Hendrick Motorsports with a new agreement that immediately expands its majority sponsorship of driver Chase Elliott and the No. 9 team in 2018 and extends its support for another two years through the 2020 racing season. The new agreement increases NAPA’s majority sponsorship of Elliott from 24 to 26 races.

HOMETOWN TRIFECTA
: In addition to NAPA AUTO PARTS, No. 9 team primary partners Hooters and Kelley Blue Book are headquartered in Atlanta. Hooters, a casual dining establishment with a deep history in NASCAR, will make its season debut in July at Daytona International Speedway. Kelley Blue Book will make its return to the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in August at Bristol Motor Speedway.

1.5-MILE TRACK STATS: Elliott’s production at 1.5-mile tracks during the 2017 season was impressive, collecting two second-place finishes (tied for second among NASCAR Cup Series drivers), seven top-five finishes (second) and nine top-10s (third). The Dawsonville, Georgia, native also averaged the third-best average finish of Cup drivers (9.82) on 1.5-mile tracks last year.

GEORGIA ON HIS MIND: On Sunday, Elliott could become just the second Georgia-born driver to win a race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, joining his father, Bill Elliott, who won five races at the track. Six drivers have won their first career Cup race at Atlanta: Carl Edwards, Kevin Harvick, Jerry Nadeau, Jim Hurtubise, Bob Burdick and Bobby Johns.

DAYTONA REWIND: The No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS team started the 60th running of the Daytona 500 from fourth after winning Duel qualifying race No. 2. Elliott had an impressive showing for much of the event but was involved in a mid-race incident that ultimately ended the team’s day, relegating the driver to a 33rd-place result.

TAKING IT TO THE BOOTH: On Saturday, Elliott is scheduled to make his way to the broadcast booth during the 163-lap NASCAR Xfinity Series event. The driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the Cup Series will join the NASCAR on FOX crew as a guest analyst for the second time during FOX Sports 1’s live coverage from Atlanta Motor Speedway beginning at 2 p.m. ET.

DESI9N TO DRIVE:
On Wednesday, Feb. 21, Elliott will visit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite to unveil patient-designed racing shoes from the Chase Elliott Foundation's second annual “DESI9N TO DRIVE” art collaboration with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The racing shoes will be worn by Elliott and his three Hendrick Motorsports teammates during the NASCAR Cup Series race weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway, signed and then put on the auction block for nine days (Feb. 21 to March 2) at the NASCAR Foundation online auction site located at www.fanaticsauctions.com to benefit Children’s summer camps.

CHASIN’ 9 SALE:
This weekend in Atlanta, the No. 9 team will wear special, limited-edition NAPA hats at the racetrack. The hats are part of NAPA AUTO PARTS' “Chasin’ 9 Sale.” In the month of March, if customers spend $25 in store they will receive the No. 9 NAPA Racing/Chase Elliott hat, while supplies last
 
2018 Season
  • 23rd in standings
  • 1 start
  • 0 wins
  • 0 pole positions
  • 0 top-five finishes
  • 0 top-10 finish
  • 4 laps led
 
 
Career
  • 78 starts
  • 0 wins
  • 3 pole positions
  • 22 top-five finishes
  • 38 top-10 finishes
  • 922 laps led
 
 
Track Career 
  • 2 starts
  • 0 wins
  • 0 pole positions
  • 1 top-five finish
  • 2 top-10 finishes
  • 0 laps led
 

HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS AT ATLANTA
: Hendrick Motorsports leads all NASCAR Cup Series teams with 14 wins at Atlanta Motor Speedway, one of 13 active tracks on the circuit where the organization holds the most wins among all Cup teams. Hendrick Motorsports' most recent victory at Atlanta came in 2016 thanks to Jimmie Johnson. The organization has earned 59 top-five finishes, 89 top-10s and five pole positions at the Georgia track.

SIX DRIVERS FIND VICTORY LANE AT ATLANTA:
Car owner Rick Hendrick's first Atlanta Motor Speedway NASCAR Cup Series win came on March 19, 1989, with driver Darrell Waltrip. The organization has posted Atlanta victories with six different drivers: Jeff Gordon (five wins), Johnson (five wins), Waltrip, Ken Schrader (1991), Jerry Nadeau (2000) and Kasey Kahne (2014).

1.5-MILE CHAMPS:
Hendrick Motorsports has a NASCAR Cup Series record 57 total wins on 1.5-mile tracks, 15 more than the next closest team, Joe Gibbs Racing. Johnson also holds the record for most 1.5-mile track victories with 28 over Gordon (17), Tony Stewart (15), Dale Earnhardt (14) and Richard Petty (13).

No comments: