 |
| Chase Elliott is 10/1 to win Clash at Daytona. |
Hometown Dawsonville, Georgia
Age 23
KEEP THE STREAK ALIVE: In each of the last three seasons, Chase Elliott has won at least one race during Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway – the longest active streak. In 2016, the 23-year-old driver won the NASCAR Xfinity Series season opener. The following year, Elliott collected his first career Duel victory at Daytona in the first qualifying event of the evening. He continued the streak in 2018 by winning his second consecutive Duel. In addition to those victories, Elliott was in position to win the 2017 DAYTONA 500 before running out of fuel from the lead on Lap 198 of 200.
500 POLE WINNER: Elliott earned the DAYTONA 500 pole award as a rookie in 2016 and again in his 2017 sophomore season. No other driver under the age of 23 has won a single pole position for the DAYTONA 500. No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson earned the DAYTONA 500 pole with driver Jeff Gordon in 2015 and with Elliott in 2016 and 2017. He is tied with Waddell Wilson and Chase Elliott’s uncle, Ernie Elliott, for the most consecutive DAYTONA 500 poles by a crew chief. Wilson won three straight poles with drivers Buddy Baker, Bobby Allison and Benny Parsons from 1980-1982. Ernie Elliott accomplished the feat with Chase Elliott’s father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, from 1985-1987.
CHASE AND BILL: If Elliott wins the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 17, he and his father would join Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the second father-son duo to win "The Great American Race" on the same date. Bill visited Victory Lane at Daytona on Feb. 17, 1985, after leading 136 laps and retaking the lead with six laps to go. The Earnhardts accomplished the feat on Feb. 15 of 1998 and 2004, respectively.
COULD THERE BE A REPEAT?: Heading into the 2019 season, Elliott looks to repeat the success of another young Hendrick Motorsports driver. In 1994, Gordon entered the season winless, but visited Victory Lane for the first time in May 1994 at Charlotte at the age of 22 years, 9 months and 25 days. Gordon went on to collect another win that year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and finished eighth in the driver point standings. He continued the momentum in 1995 with seven wins that propelled him to his first of four NASCAR Cup Series championships. As Elliott entered 2018 still chasing his first win, he found his way to Victory Lane for his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory in August at Watkins Glen International at the age of 22 years, 8 months and 8 days. He went on to finish last season with three wins and ranked sixth in the driver point standings. Elliott is one of eight drivers in the modern era to enter the season winless and earn at least three victories that year.
FLORIDA NATIVE: This weekend, Gustafson will return home to the "Birthplace of Speed." Gustafson hails from Ormond Beach, Florida, just down the road from Daytona International Speedway. After graduating from Seabreeze High School, he enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to study mechanical engineering. He returns to Daytona for his 15th full-time season and fourth with Elliott.
GUSTAFSON AT DAYTONA: Though Gustafson has never won a points race at Daytona, he has collected two Duel wins (2017, 2018) with Elliott. The 43-year-old crew chief also has two runner-up finishes at the 2.5-mile oval with Kyle Busch in 2006 and 2007. The 2007 result with Busch and Jamie McMurray was the closest margin of victory ever in the July race at Daytona (0.005 seconds). Gustafson has also won the pole award at Daytona five times with three drivers (Elliott – 3, Gordon – 1, Martin – 1). He is tied with Leonard Wood and Wilson for the most DAYTONA 500 pole awards all-time for a crew chief with four.
NAPA AUTO PARTS ON BOARD FOR THE 500: NAPA AUTO PARTS will kick off the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season on the hood of Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the 61st running of the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 17. NAPA also served as the primary sponsor for Elliott’s first three career starts in "The Great American Race."
USAC.25 GRAND MARSHAL: On Friday, Feb. 8, Elliott will serve as the honorary grand marshal for USAC.25 season opener at Daytona. The driver of the No. 9 complements the long and impressive list of USAC.25 honorary grand marshals from 2018, joining iconic and legendary names like Gordon (Daytona), Mario Andretti (Phoenix), Josef Newgarden (Texas), Arie Luyendyk (Indianapolis) and James Hinchcliffe (Pocono).
RADIO ROW VISIT: On Thursday, Jan. 31, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native visited Radio Row for Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta on behalf of Kelley Blue Book. Elliott’s 2019 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was revealed that morning before he made his rounds to multiple media outlets ahead of the big game.
VISIT TO THE CHEVY STAGE: On Sunday, Feb. 17, Elliott will appear at the Team Chevy Stage at Daytona International Speedway at 11 a.m. local time for a question-and-answer session.
Chase Elliott on The Clash and if he can take any notes from that to the DAYTONA 500:
“I think it's definitely a good tune-up, especially for the guys that didn't get selected to test throughout the offseason. You know, for me, I haven't been back in the car since Homestead. It will be nice to get in a race and make sure everything looks right and feels right, and those cars are really similar to one another usually from The Clash to the 500. So, I'm sure there are things to learn. Obviously the distance is much shorter, but car-wise it will be a good start and a good look at things.”
No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson on the new rules package:
"It’s a significant change. Basically, every chassis we have we had to update to the EVS rules. All the aerodynamic configurations, the splitter, the spoiler and all things change. You basically start from scratch and kind of rebuild your fleet. We’ve done that the last couple of years with the body change, this year held some changes. A lot of labor that goes into that, a lot involved with that. We're kind of knee-deep in that process now, so it will be a while. It’s not something that you get done during the offseason and you don’t just go to Daytona and hit the ground running. You’re constantly evolving and building, and we will be doing that for a while."
Age 23
KEEP THE STREAK ALIVE: In each of the last three seasons, Chase Elliott has won at least one race during Speedweeks at Daytona International Speedway – the longest active streak. In 2016, the 23-year-old driver won the NASCAR Xfinity Series season opener. The following year, Elliott collected his first career Duel victory at Daytona in the first qualifying event of the evening. He continued the streak in 2018 by winning his second consecutive Duel. In addition to those victories, Elliott was in position to win the 2017 DAYTONA 500 before running out of fuel from the lead on Lap 198 of 200.
500 POLE WINNER: Elliott earned the DAYTONA 500 pole award as a rookie in 2016 and again in his 2017 sophomore season. No other driver under the age of 23 has won a single pole position for the DAYTONA 500. No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson earned the DAYTONA 500 pole with driver Jeff Gordon in 2015 and with Elliott in 2016 and 2017. He is tied with Waddell Wilson and Chase Elliott’s uncle, Ernie Elliott, for the most consecutive DAYTONA 500 poles by a crew chief. Wilson won three straight poles with drivers Buddy Baker, Bobby Allison and Benny Parsons from 1980-1982. Ernie Elliott accomplished the feat with Chase Elliott’s father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, from 1985-1987.
CHASE AND BILL: If Elliott wins the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 17, he and his father would join Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the second father-son duo to win "The Great American Race" on the same date. Bill visited Victory Lane at Daytona on Feb. 17, 1985, after leading 136 laps and retaking the lead with six laps to go. The Earnhardts accomplished the feat on Feb. 15 of 1998 and 2004, respectively.
COULD THERE BE A REPEAT?: Heading into the 2019 season, Elliott looks to repeat the success of another young Hendrick Motorsports driver. In 1994, Gordon entered the season winless, but visited Victory Lane for the first time in May 1994 at Charlotte at the age of 22 years, 9 months and 25 days. Gordon went on to collect another win that year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and finished eighth in the driver point standings. He continued the momentum in 1995 with seven wins that propelled him to his first of four NASCAR Cup Series championships. As Elliott entered 2018 still chasing his first win, he found his way to Victory Lane for his first career NASCAR Cup Series victory in August at Watkins Glen International at the age of 22 years, 8 months and 8 days. He went on to finish last season with three wins and ranked sixth in the driver point standings. Elliott is one of eight drivers in the modern era to enter the season winless and earn at least three victories that year.
FLORIDA NATIVE: This weekend, Gustafson will return home to the "Birthplace of Speed." Gustafson hails from Ormond Beach, Florida, just down the road from Daytona International Speedway. After graduating from Seabreeze High School, he enrolled at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to study mechanical engineering. He returns to Daytona for his 15th full-time season and fourth with Elliott.
GUSTAFSON AT DAYTONA: Though Gustafson has never won a points race at Daytona, he has collected two Duel wins (2017, 2018) with Elliott. The 43-year-old crew chief also has two runner-up finishes at the 2.5-mile oval with Kyle Busch in 2006 and 2007. The 2007 result with Busch and Jamie McMurray was the closest margin of victory ever in the July race at Daytona (0.005 seconds). Gustafson has also won the pole award at Daytona five times with three drivers (Elliott – 3, Gordon – 1, Martin – 1). He is tied with Leonard Wood and Wilson for the most DAYTONA 500 pole awards all-time for a crew chief with four.
NAPA AUTO PARTS ON BOARD FOR THE 500: NAPA AUTO PARTS will kick off the 2019 NASCAR Cup Series season on the hood of Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the 61st running of the DAYTONA 500 on Sunday, Feb. 17. NAPA also served as the primary sponsor for Elliott’s first three career starts in "The Great American Race."
USAC.25 GRAND MARSHAL: On Friday, Feb. 8, Elliott will serve as the honorary grand marshal for USAC.25 season opener at Daytona. The driver of the No. 9 complements the long and impressive list of USAC.25 honorary grand marshals from 2018, joining iconic and legendary names like Gordon (Daytona), Mario Andretti (Phoenix), Josef Newgarden (Texas), Arie Luyendyk (Indianapolis) and James Hinchcliffe (Pocono).
RADIO ROW VISIT: On Thursday, Jan. 31, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native visited Radio Row for Super Bowl LIII in Atlanta on behalf of Kelley Blue Book. Elliott’s 2019 Kelley Blue Book Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 was revealed that morning before he made his rounds to multiple media outlets ahead of the big game.
VISIT TO THE CHEVY STAGE: On Sunday, Feb. 17, Elliott will appear at the Team Chevy Stage at Daytona International Speedway at 11 a.m. local time for a question-and-answer session.
Chase Elliott on The Clash and if he can take any notes from that to the DAYTONA 500:
“I think it's definitely a good tune-up, especially for the guys that didn't get selected to test throughout the offseason. You know, for me, I haven't been back in the car since Homestead. It will be nice to get in a race and make sure everything looks right and feels right, and those cars are really similar to one another usually from The Clash to the 500. So, I'm sure there are things to learn. Obviously the distance is much shorter, but car-wise it will be a good start and a good look at things.”
No. 9 team crew chief Alan Gustafson on the new rules package:
"It’s a significant change. Basically, every chassis we have we had to update to the EVS rules. All the aerodynamic configurations, the splitter, the spoiler and all things change. You basically start from scratch and kind of rebuild your fleet. We’ve done that the last couple of years with the body change, this year held some changes. A lot of labor that goes into that, a lot involved with that. We're kind of knee-deep in that process now, so it will be a while. It’s not something that you get done during the offseason and you don’t just go to Daytona and hit the ground running. You’re constantly evolving and building, and we will be doing that for a while."
| | | |
| |
| |
| | | |
No comments:
Post a Comment