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| Chase Elliott has best average finish (5.3) in Michigan history. |
“We’ve had some good NAPA Chevrolets the last couple of weeks. We’ve been good, just not great and you have to be great to win these things. I’ll go to work and try to do a better job, and we’ll see what we can do (at Michigan)."
Elliott on Michigan strategy:
“I assume the outside lane will be really dominant on restarts. Getting up in that outside lane and getting in the draft will be big. I don’t know if the guy up front will ever be able to get away or not. The thing about Michigan is that it is still very one-lane. Unfortunately, that racetrack just hasn’t really widened out like we all hoped it would or like it used to be. Maybe it will and maybe the new package will make it widen out some. I think it will be similar to the Xfinity race last year unless we are able to move around more.”
RUNNER-UP FINISHES: Chase Elliott is in good company as one of four drivers with the most runner-up finishes at Michigan before their first win at the track. NASCAR Hall of Famer Jeff Gordon also earned three second-place results before capturing his first win at the two-mile oval (1998), and both Martin Truex Jr. and NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte have three runner-up results without a win at Michigan.
MICHIGAN STATS: The driver currently holds the best average finish (5.3) of all time at Michigan. He has finished inside the top 10 in all six career NASCAR Cup Series starts at the two-mile oval, which ties him for the series' longest streak of starts before a finish outside the top 10 at Michigan. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native has collected three top-five finishes – all of which were runner-up results – at the track. Elliott also averages a starting position of 10.7 at the venue.
GUSTAFSON STATS: In his 15th season as crew chief, Alan Gustafson is set to call his 29th race from atop the pit box this weekend at Michigan. In his previous 28 starts at the venue with five different drivers (Elliott, Gordon, Mark Martin, Casey Mears and Kyle Busch), Gustafson has collected two wins – with Martin in June 2009 and Gordon in August 2014, when he started from the pole position. The No. 9 team crew chief has garnered five top-five finishes,13 top-10s and 292 laps led at the Michigan track.
LAST FIVE: Last weekend’s fourth-place finish at Pocono Raceway kept a streak alive for Elliott. The driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 has collected five straight top-five finishes (Talladega – first; Dover – fifth; Kansas – fourth; Charlotte – fourth; Pocono – fourth). It marks the longest top-five streak of Elliott’s Cup Series career. His previous longest streak was two races in August 2018 (Bristol and Darlington). Over the last five races, he has averaged a finishing position of 3.6 – the best average finish of all drivers – and has led 280 laps. Elliott has also collected more points (236) than any other driver over the previous five events.
SO FAR IN 2019: Through the first 14 races of the season, Elliott has led 402 laps – leading in eight of the last nine races after going the first five races of the season without leading a single lap. He currently owns the fourth-most laps led by a driver this season. He has taken the green flag from the front row in three races this season, starting from the pole position in two of the last seven races (Bristol and Dover). So far this season, Elliott averages a starting position of 12.4 and finishing position of 9.2.
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