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| Chase Elliott won at Talladega using this week's race package. |
“Being at night is one thing that's different. I love the summer Daytona race. You can almost enjoy that one a little more – it’s not the 500 and it’s not all the madness that comes with that first race of the season. It’s nice to be able to go back to Daytona, which is a cool area. I love going to the beach that time of year and just being able to go down there and race, it feels more like a normal race weekend. Always a lot of fireworks under the lights there, it seems.”
Elliott on night races:
“You hear people who have been around longer than me talking about racing in the day. But, for me, I like the excitement of a night race. That’s all I have ever known. So, if I had a choice, I like it like that. I like going down there and spending the week. It’s typically around the 4th and then racing at Daytona on Saturday night has always been exciting to me. So, I’ve enjoyed that tradition a lot.”
NAPA MILITARY MONTH: As part of NAPA’s Military Month promotion, Chase Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA Batteries Chevrolet will don a patriotic scheme for the Fourth of July weekend at Daytona International Speedway. The red, white and blue colors featured on the No. 9 machine also showcase the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund on the TV panel. During the month of July, a portion of the proceeds from select products will go to the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund.
SUPERSPEEDWAY STATS: This weekend, Elliott will make his 15th superspeedway start in the NASCAR Cup Series (Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway). In his previous 14 starts on the track type, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native has started on the front row six times, four from the pole position. He averages a starting position of 6.2 in his superspeedway starts and has led 168 laps. In April, he earned his first superspeedway victory at Talladega Superspeedway after collecting his first stage win of the season and leading 45 laps. The driver has two Duel wins at Daytona (2017, 2018). He has also made 11 superspeedway starts in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. In those 11 events, he garnered one victory (Daytona, Feb. 2016), four top-10 finishes and a total of 53 laps led.
LAST EIGHT: Elliott has garnered the second-most points (303) over the last eight races, 20 points less than teammate Alex Bowman. He has collected top-five finishes in five of the last eight events (Talladega – first; Dover – fifth; Kansas – fourth; Charlotte – fourth; Pocono – fourth).
SUNSHINE STATE NATIVE: This weekend, No. 9 crew chief Alan Gustafson will return home to the "Birthplace of Speed." Gustafson hails from Ormond Beach, Florida, less than 10 miles 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 as a crew chief 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 ahead of 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 – three, Jeff Gordon – one, Mark Martin – one).
SEE ELLIOTT AT DAYTONA: On Saturday, July 6, Elliott will appear at the Team Chevy Stage at 4:55 p.m. local time for a question-and-answer session.
DEWNITED STATES: Last week, Elliott’s Kentucky ride was revealed on social media. The No. 9 Mtn. Dew DEWnited States Chevrolet Camaro celebrates the entire country. Mountain Dew launched 50 unique labels on bottles across the U.S. representing all 50 of the DEWnited States. Fans that find and collect all 50 can score $100 by entering the code under each cap at dewnited.com. On Tuesday, Elliott shared a virtual cheers video via his social channels promoting the DEWnited States campaign. Click here to watch.
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