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Elliott Maintains Top-10 Points Position after Phoenix
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By NAPA
Chase Elliott and the No. 9
link hidden, please login to view team started 15th in Sunday’s NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway after Saturday’s heat races were rained out and the lineup was set by qualifying results. When the first caution flag of the race came out on lap two, Elliott was scored in the same position in which he started. Under the yellow, crew chief Alan Gustafson called the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion to pit road for the primary tire option after starting the race on the soft tire option. Elliott restarted 16th on lap 11 and found himself inside the top 10 for the first time of the race on lap 41. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native battled with the ninth-place driver for several laps, but he couldn’t make the pass before the scheduled lap-100 caution occurred. The field came to pit road for mandatory pit stops, with the No. 9 team opting for the soft tires it had on earlier in the race. A fast, four-tire stop by the NAPA Racing crew gained Elliott two spots on pit road, and he lined up eighth for the choose cone, taking the inside lane for the restart on lap 109. The Hendrick Motorsports driver continued to battle inside the top eight and was scored in the seventh position when an on-track incident brought out the yellow flag on lap 118. Staying out on the track under the caution, Elliott lined up on the inside lane for the lap-124 restart and was running in the ninth spot when the second scheduled caution slowed the race on lap 150. Elliott relayed that his NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 needed more security, so the team made a chassis adjustment during its pit stop for four soft tires and fuel.
With some teams opting to pit for only two tires, Elliott lined up 12th for the choose cone and took the inside lane for the restart on lap 159. From there, he pressed forward and moved back into the top 10 on lap 165. He managed to gain two more positions before the checkered flag waved, claiming an eighth-place result in the 200-lap all-star event. It was Elliott’s second consecutive top-10 finish in the exhibition event and seventh top-10 overall in nine All-Star Race starts, which includes his 2020 victory at Bristol Motor Speedway when he took home the $1-million prize.
Start / Finish: 15 / 8
Points Standing / Total: 4th / 437 pts. (-49)
Next Race: Sunday, May 26, Coca-Cola 600, Charlotte Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 6:00 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN and SiriusXM
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By NAPA
Christian Eckes turned in a solid effort on Sunday afternoon at North Wilkesboro Speedway which resulted in a sixth-place finish. The driver of the No. 19 Instacoat Premium Products Chevrolet Silverado RST recorded his eighth top-10 finish in a row and maintained the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series points lead by four markers after 10 of 16 regular season events.
Eckes started the event from the pole after qualifying was washed out by inclement weather Saturday morning. The 250-lapper went green under threatening skies on Saturday and Eckes continued his dominant short track ways by leading the first 62 laps. He made a pit stop for left side tires under a lap-58 caution and restarted 10th on lap 68. He advanced to seventh position by lap 70 to collect four points at the conclusion of Stage 1. Severe thunderstorms and torrential rains overcame North Wilkesboro during the caution period and postponed the remainder of the race until Sunday morning.
When the event resumed under sunny skies on Sunday, Eckes restarted sixth and immediately charged into the top-five. He ran as high as third on lap 103 until a caution slowed the field at lap 117. Crew chief Charles Denike called Eckes in for his second and final pit stop of the event for right sides during the caution. He restarted 10th and utilized the outside lane to perfection and instantly climbed to seventh. The move on the restart netted Eckes another four points at the end of Stage 2 on lap 140.
After briefly dropping to 10th after a restart on lap 147, Eckes regained his footing and reentered the top five by lap 190. He remained a threat by lining up third for a restart with 37 laps to go but was pinned on the bottom lane. After waging war in a multi-truck battle for a top-five position over the final 30 laps, Eckes took the checkered flag in sixth position for his best finish in two starts at North Wilkesboro.
“I kind of struggled all day,” Eckes said. “Balance wasn’t great. Just proud of the Instacoat guys for the effort. We weren’t very good on Friday when we were practicing and we got it better, but it still just wasn’t enough. Just way too tight at the end. We’ll move on to Charlotte with the number one pit stall, so excited for that.”
Start / Finish: 1 / 6
Points Standing / Total: 1st / 426 pts. (+4)
Next Race: Friday, May 24, Charlotte Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 8:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
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By NAPA
Chase Elliott and the No. 9 UniFirst team qualified 31st for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway. Elliott methodically worked his way forward in the first stage to earn a 26th-place result before ending stage two in 16th. After an issue during a pit stop relegated Elliott outside the top 20 to start the final stage, he battled back to take the checkered flag in the 12th position. The 2020 Cup Series champion ranks fourth in the points standings and is just 49 markers behind the leader. Chase Elliott qualified 31st for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway. Driving the No. 9 UniFirst Throwback Chevrolet Camaro ZL1, Elliott maneuvered his way to 29th by lap 22 and was in that same position when the team made its first pit stop of the race for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment on lap 37. Once the field cycled through green-flag pit stops, Elliott was up to the 23rd position. Further into the run, the 2020 Cup Series champion relayed that he hurt his right-rear tire as he began to lose some track position. When the green-and-white checkered flag waved to end stage one, Elliott was scored in the 26th position.
Under the stage-ending caution, crew chief Alan Gustafson made the call for chassis and air-pressure adjustments during the team’s pit stop for four tires and fuel. Elliott was the 23rd driver to choose his lane to start the second stage. He chose the inside lane prior to taking the green flag on lap 98. The Hendrick Motorsports driver continued to battle inside the top 25 and was scored in 22nd when the caution flag waved on lap 120. Elliott radioed to Gustafson that the UniFirst Chevrolet was too tight during the course of that run, so the team opted to reverse the previous chassis adjustment when Elliott visited pit road for fresh tires and fuel. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native restarted from the 21st position on lap 128 and was up to 19th when the yellow flag was displayed again just one lap later.
Staying out, he restarted 19th and advanced to 17th early before dropping back outside of the top 20. Elliott reported that the UniFirst Chevrolet was still too tight. When another caution flag came out on lap 164, the team called Elliott in for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment. He was 20th to choose his lane and took the outside for the restart on lap 169. From there, he pressed forward and nearly entered the top 15 before the end of the second stage, ultimately finishing it in the 16th position on lap 185.
After an issue during the team’s pit stop under the stage break, Elliott lined up deep in the field to start the final stage on lap 193. He was up to 24th on lap 212 and reported shortly after that his No. 9 UniFirst Chevy would be ok if he had good track position. He improved one more spot before coming to pit road under the green flag for four tires and fuel on lap 226. Once the pit cycle concluded, he was scored in 13th and advanced to 12th before cars on fresher tires started gaining on him. He was in 16th when a caution came out on lap 254 and was 14th to choose his lane after pitting for four tires and fuel. He chose the outside lane for the lap-260 restart and battled hard in the closing laps of the race to take the checkered flag in the 12th position.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver leaves Darlington fourth in the Cup Series points standings, just 49 markers behind the leader.
Start / Finish: 31 / 12
Points Standing / Total: 4th / 437 pts.
Next Race: Sunday, May 19, North Wilkesboro Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
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By NAPA
Christian Eckes reclaimed the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series points lead with a steady fourth-place result at Darlington Raceway on Friday night. The driver of the No. 19 Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet Silverado RST captured his fourth consecutive top-five finish to lead the championship standings for the second time this season. Eckes delivered a monster points night by earning 50 markers, the most of all drivers in the field, and now holds a 14-point advantage after nine races.
Eckes’ red and yellow Brownie King throwback scheme set the fastest lap in Friday afternoon’s practice session and turned in the seventh-quickest qualifying lap. The 2023 Darlington Raceway winner immediately cracked the top five on lap two when the evening’s first caution flew. He instantly jumped into a podium position on the lap six restart and began to stalk the race lead. While the balance on his Chevrolet swung free in the first segment, Eckes managed to track down the race leader in the first 45 laps. Stage 1 came to a close on lap 45 with Eckes running second and claimed nine points.
Under the first stage caution, crew chief Charles Denike brought Eckes to pit road for four tires, fuel, and a minor adjustment to secure his free balance. Eckes restarted third and took control of the runner-up position by lap 71. While he attempted to reel in the race lead in the waning laps of Stage 2, he surrendered that position to a fellow Chevrolet competitor that had fresher tires with an alternative strategy. Nevertheless, Eckes banked another eight points at the end of Stage 2 on lap 90.
Eckes pitted again under the stage caution for more of the same service, fresh tires and a small adjustment. He restarted third on lap 98 and took the lead for the first time on lap 106. As the final segment progressed, Eckes’ loose handling condition did also. The rear of his Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet progressively lost grip and caused him to lose touch with the lead. However, a caution on lap 143 reset the field for an overtime finish. With fresh tires, Eckes lined up sixth on the final restart and navigated his way through a chaotic conclusion to collect a fourth-place finish.
“At times we were good, times we weren’t,” Eckes said. “Real inconsistent as far as handling, sets of tires, everything was kind of inconsistent for us. Proud of the execution. Proud of a top-five but felt like we were probably a little more capable than that. We kind of let the balance get away from us on our Gates Hydraulics Chevrolet. On to Wilkesboro.”
Start / Finish: 7 / 4
Points Standing / Total: 1st / 387 pts.
Next Race: Saturday, May 18, North Wilkesboro Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 1:30 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
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By NAPA
Brad Sweet and the
link hidden, please login to view No. 49 team had high expectations for a Kansas swing with High Limit Racing, starting with a mid-week show scheduled for Wednesday at 81 Speedway in Park City, KS. But after severe storms crossed the area Tuesday night and forced a cancelation, the team looked ahead to Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City for two nights of High Limit Racing action at Shane Stewart’s Heartland of America Showdown. With NASCAR in town at Kansas Speedway just a short drive away, Lakeside was buzzing with racing fans on Friday night. In qualifying, Sweet made his mark in the NAPA No. 49, hitting the charts in fourth with a time of 15.354 seconds. After starting on the pole of his heat race, the Big Cat maintained his position to the checkers and secured his spot in the dash.
The NAPA team came up with a sixth-place starting position for the dash after Sweet’s spin of the wheel, and the No. 49 team had seven laps to improve their starting position for the evening’s feature. A strong start allowed the No. 49 to jump to fifth, and Sweet finished in that spot to earn a fifth-place start in the feature. The enthusiastic crowd was in for a treat with the main event. Sweet and the NAPA team showcased their skills as the No. 49 surged through the field. The Big Cat had the best car setup on track, and he swiftly made his way to the front before clinching his third High Limit Racing win in the Lakeside thriller.
With Friday night’s win under his belt, Sweet wasn’t required to make a qualifying run on Saturday; he was locked into heat race action ahead of Saturday’s $50,000-to-win main event. With the pressure on, the No. 49 was second across the line after starting the heat race in fourth, again locking Sweet in to the dash. A spin of the wheel put him eighth to start.
Despite tough competition, the Big Cat picked up two spots in the dash, placing the NAPA team sixth to start the 30-lap, final race of the Heartland of America Showdown. A $50,000 payday awaited the winner, and Sweet and the No. 49 team were determined to cash in. Sweet again found his NAPA machine to be a rocket on the Lakeside Speedway dirt. He blazed through the competition and held off Kyle Larson to surge from sixth to first. Taking the checkered flag for his second-consecutive win of the weekend, Sweet secured the $50,000 grand prize and took over the High Limit Racing points lead.
Start / Finish:
Friday, May 3: 5 / 1
Saturday, May 4: 6 / 1
Points Standing / Total: 1st / 816 pts. (+8)
Next Race: Friday, May 10, 34 Raceway, West Burlington, IA
How to Watch or Listen:
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