Elliott Maintains Top-10 Points Position after Phoenix
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By NAPA
Chase Elliott qualified 13th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. The 30-year-old driver earned points in each of the first two stages, finishing sixth and fourth, respectively. While visiting pit road ahead of the final stage, Elliott got blocked in his stall and lost several positions. He made his way back inside the top 10, ultimately earning an eighth-place finish. It was his 14th top-10 finish at the 1.5-mile tri-oval. Elliott leaves Kansas sixth in the Cup Series points standings, 152 markers behind the leader.
Chase Elliott and the No. 9
link hidden, please login to view team qualified 13th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Kansas Speedway. The 30-year-old’s No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet showed speed from the drop of the green flag. He was up to 11th by lap 21, where he remained until pit stops got underway on lap 33. Elliott stayed out until crew chief Alan Gustafson called him to pit road on lap 39 for four tires and fuel. He worked his way up to 10th by lap 47 and used his slightly fresher tires in the closing laps of stage one to advance to sixth before the green-and-white checkered flag waved on lap 80.
During the stage break, Elliott reported that he “hurt the right rear a little worse.” He brought his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet to pit road for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. A fast pit stop gained Elliott multiple positions, making him third to choose for the restart. He opted for the outside of row two to start the second stage on lap 89. Elliott improved to second initially before dropping to fourth on lap 97. He relayed to his team that his Chevrolet was “consistently just a little more snug.” Shortly after, another round of green-flag pit stops got underway. Elliott visited pit road on lap 121 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. He returned to the track in 14th and was running in second once the field completed the pit cycle on lap 128. Elliott continued to run inside the top five, ending the second stage in fourth place on lap 165.
Under the stage-ending caution, Elliott brought the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet to the attention of his crew for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment. He unfortunately got blocked in when trying to exit his pit stall, which cost him several positions. The 2020 Cup Series champion was 12th to choose for the restart, opting for the inside of row six. He settled into 12th early in the final stage before fading to 14th on lap 186. The No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet got stronger as the run went on. Elliott improved to 11th on lap 190, where he remained until teams started visiting pit road on lap 214. Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for four tires and fuel on lap 220. Elliott found himself back inside the top 10 on lap 245 and was running in ninth when the caution flag waved with just two laps to go. Varying pit strategies came into play, with some teams opting for two tires while others took four. The No. 9 team put right-side tires on the NAPA Chevrolet, and Elliott lined up on the inside of row four for the overtime restart. He battled hard to try to stay ahead of the cars on four fresh tires, ultimately earning an eighth-place finish.
Start / Finish: 13 / 8
Points Standing / Total: 6th / 305 pts. (-152)
Next Race: Sunday, April 26, Talladega Superspeedway
How to Watch or Listen: 3:00 p.m. ET on FOX, SiriusXM or MRN
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By NAPA
Chase Elliott qualified 18th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Elliott finished the first stage in 16th and followed that up with a 13th-place finish in stage two. In the final stage, the 30-year-old driver avoided damage after a late-race spin and ultimately finished 22nd. Elliott leaves Bristol fifth in the Cup Series points standings, 122 markers behind the leader. Chase Elliott and the No. 9
link hidden, please login to view team qualified 18th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway. The 30-year-old gained ground on the initial start of the race but got stuck in the top lane before clearing down into the 21st position on lap eight. Elliott was running in that same spot when the first caution of the race came out on lap 62. The team ultimately decided not to pit in order to gain track position. With everyone ahead of him pitting, Elliott led the field back to green on lap 71. He held strong inside the top five until slipping to sixth on lap 106. As the run went on, Elliott fought hard for position before fading outside the top 10, ending the first stage in 16th place. Under the stage-ending caution, Elliott reported that he “overbuilt the right rear and was hanging on from there.” Crew chief Alan Gustafson called him to pit road for four fresh tires and fuel.
Elliott started stage two in 14th on lap 137 and improved to 13th before the yellow flag was displayed for an incident on lap 144. Staying out, Elliott opted for the inside of row six for the lap-152 restart. He continued to run inside the top 15 and was scored in 13th when the race was slowed for a caution on lap 160. Elliott relayed that the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet was “borderline a little snug, especially on the bottom.” The team opted not to pit, along with a majority of the field, and Elliott restarted 13th on lap 169. The 2020 Cup Series champion worked his way to 11th on lap 188 before ending the second stage in 13th on lap 250. Elliott brought his No. 9 Chevy to the attention of his crew for four tires, fuel and an air-pressure adjustment to try to improve the handling.
A fast pit stop put Elliott in 11th for the choose. He opted to start the final stage from the outside of row six. He continued to run inside the top 12 until slipping to 13th on lap 271. Elliott reported a loose handling condition during the run. When a caution came out on lap 312, he was scored in 19th. The team reversed the air-pressure adjustment during the pit stop for four tires and fuel. Elliott restarted 17th on lap 321 and was running in the same position when the yellow flag was displayed on lap 381. He reported the handling was “in a better place.” Elliott visited pit road for four tires, fuel and a slight air-pressure adjustment under the caution. He was 15th to choose his lane, deciding on the outside. Elliott gained positions on the restart, advancing as high as 12th.
He was running in 14th when the No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy got loose on lap 421, but Elliott was able to save it. Over the course of the run, Elliott faded to 18th and went a lap down on lap 447. He did manage to gain a position, but then got loose and spun on lap 477, bringing out the caution. Elliott was able to avoid damage in the spin. He brought the No. 9 Chevy to pit road for four tires and fuel. He restarted 22nd and was up to 21st when another incident slowed the race with fewer than five laps to go, sending the race into overtime. Elliott tried to gain ground in the closing laps before ultimately finishing the race in 22nd.
Elliott is now fifth in the Cup Series points standings, 122 markers behind the leader.
Start / Finish: 18 / 22
Points Standing / Total: 5th / 264 pts. (-122)
Next Race: Sunday, April 19, Kansas Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 2:00 p.m. ET on FOX, SiriusXM or MRN
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By NAPA
Christian Eckes vaulted himself back into championship contention with a stout effort at Bristol Motor Speedway on Friday night. The driver of the No. 91 Columbia Bank Chevrolet Silverado RST finished fifth, earned a stage victory and scored the most points of all drivers with 48. Eckes paced the field for 132 of the 250 circuits which helped him advance to fifth in the championship standings, just 17 markers out of the lead.
The Columbia Bank Chevrolet started second after Eckes delivered his best qualifying effort of the year, narrowly missing out on the pole by 0.02 seconds. On lap three, Eckes swiftly claimed control of the event by hooking the bottom of the speedway and held a comfortable lead for 62 of 65 laps in Stage 1. He efficiently navigated lapped traffic to secure his second stage victory of the season and pocketed 10 championship points on lap 65.
In an effort to preserve critical track position, crew chief Dave Elenz elected to keep Eckes on track during the stage caution, along with most lead-lap competitors. When the race restarted on lap 79, Eckes jumped out to another lead and reported his handling had moderately improved from the first segment. He held the lead until a caution on lap 118 flipped the race’s script. Eckes pitted for four tires, as did the majority of the field, but restarted eighth on lap 128 after multiple trucks stayed out on older tires. He was able to regain two positions to run sixth by the end of Stage 2 on lap 130 and tally five points.
Eckes stayed on track to begin the final segment and restarted third on lap 142. A sequence of three cautions over the next 25 laps featured mad scrambles on restarts amongst the top four as Eckes vied to retake the lead. After briefly claiming the lead on the lap-179 restart, Eckes and the No. 1 truck made contact racing for the lead, sparking a multi-truck incident in Turn 1, which he narrowly escaped. He restarted as the leader on lap 179, but a loose balance would eventually hamper his pace over the final 27 laps. Eckes took the checkered flag in fifth for his third top-five result of the year and his second-highest point total of the season.
“It was a step in the right direction for sure,” Eckes said. “I think we led the most laps, had the fastest lap, so we’re bringing fast trucks. Qualified second. Qualifying has been kind of an issue for us for the last couple weeks. I feel like we’re heading in the right direction on there. Just need to clean up a lot of mistakes on my end. I lost the handling a little bit and track position is so important. I just screwed up the restart pretty bad and screwed up the restart before then. Lot of mental decisions I got to make better and we’ll make them at Texas.”
Start / Finish: 2 / 5
Points Standing / Total: 5th / 191 pts. (-17)
Next Race: Friday, May 1, Texas Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 8:00 p.m. ET on FS1 or SiriusXM
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By NAPA
Chase Elliott and the No. 9 UniFirst team qualified 10th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. The 30-year-old driver finished the first stage in 12th and followed that up with a 14th-place finish in stage two. During the final stage, Elliott was running ninth when crew chief Alan Gustafson made the call to pit early. Fresh tires put Elliott on offense, and he quickly made up ground. He cycled to the lead and was scored second at the time of a caution on lap 311. Elliott remained in the top three from there, and after the last caution of the race came out on lap 324, he cleared for the lead on the restart and didn’t look back, earning his 22nd career Cup Series victory. It was Elliott’s second Cup Series win at Martinsville and his first points-paying victory of the season. Elliott moved up to fourth in the Cup Series points standings. He is now 104 markers behind the leader.
Chase Elliott and the No. 9 UniFirst team qualified 10th for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway. When the green flag dropped, Elliott battled for ninth but got stuck in the outside lane and settled into 13th. On the long, green-flag run, the 30-year-old driver regained some ground. He advanced to 11th before ultimately ending the first stage in 12th.
During the stage break, Elliott reported that the No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet was “swingy.” Crew chief Alan Gustafson made the call for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. A fast stop by the team put Elliott 10th for the choose. He opted for the inside of row six, taking the green flag for stage two in 11th on lap 96. He was in the same position when the yellow flag was displayed on lap 105. Staying out, Elliott lined up 13th for the restart after choosing the preferred bottom lane. From there, Elliott continued to run inside the top 15, with the remainder of the stage going caution-free. He took the green-and-white checkered flag to end stage two in 14th on lap 180.
Under the stage-ending caution, Elliott reported positive feedback on the No. 9 UniFirst Chevy’s balance. After pitting for four tires and fuel, he lined up 11th to start the final stage on lap 193. Elliott gained positions early, running in eighth for several laps before dropping to ninth on lap 247. He remained there until Gustafson made the call to short-pit on lap 262. Elliott returned to the track on fresher tires than the rest of the field and quickly gained ground. Eventually, others began visiting pit road, which put Elliott as the leader at the end of the pit cycle on lap 293. He held on with his older tires until the No. 11 of Denny Hamlin made the pass for the top spot on lap 309. The strategy call paid off for Elliott and the No. 9 team when a caution came out on lap 311. Elliott was the second car off pit road following his pit stop but restarted third due to one car opting to stay out. Shortly after the field returned to green, the race was slowed for a multi-car incident on lap 324. Elliott was scored in second at the time of the yellow. He lined up on the outside of the first row for the restart and cleared for the lead on lap 334. Elliott continued to lead while working his way through lap traffic in the closing laps, ultimately taking the checkered flag for his 22nd career Cup Series win.
“It was definitely a team effort. That was awesome,” Elliott said after the win. “We’ve never had a win this early in the season. Just a really great team effort. So proud of Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and the whole No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet team. They did a great job all day.
“We took a gamble. We were going to two-stop that last stage. I honestly think it was going to work out good for us either way. Just so proud of this team. Man, they put up with a lot (smiling). They have to put up with me all the time, and I just appreciate them for sticking with me. It’s lot of fun when days like this work out. Thank you to everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, Mr. Hendrick, Chevrolet and all of our partners for the support.”
Elliott is now fourth in the Cup Series points standings, 104 markers behind the leader.
Start / Finish: 10 / 1
Points Standing / Total: 4th / 249 pts. (-104)
Next Race: Sunday, April 12, Bristol Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 3:00 p.m. ET on FS1, SiriusXM or PRN
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By NAPA
Chase Elliott qualified third for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway. The 30-year-old finished the first stage in seventh, earning valuable stage points. He followed that up with a 13th-place finish in stage two. In the final stage, Elliott battled a tough handling condition, which dropped him to 20th at one point. He recovered to earn a 15th-place finish. Following Darlington, Elliott remains fifth in the Cup Series points standings. He is now 131 markers behind the leader. Chase Elliott qualified the No. 9 UniFirst Chevrolet in the third position for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Darlington Raceway. When the green flag waved on Sunday afternoon, Elliott maintained a position inside the top 10. He was running in seventh when he reported that the No. 9 UniFirst Chevy had a tight handling condition. The first round of green-flag pit stops got underway on lap 37. The team opted to run additional laps prior to pitting on lap 45 for four tires, fuel and adjustments. Elliott was back up to eighth on lap 50 and made a last-lap pass to end the first stage in seventh on lap 90.
Under the stage break, the team made a fast pit stop for four fresh tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment, which gained Elliott multiple positions. The 30-year-old driver opted for the inside of the second row to start the second stage. On the restart, Elliott battled to maintain third before settling into the fifth position. He remained there until the caution flag came out for an on-track incident on lap 111. Elliott relayed that his Chevy’s handling was “still a little tight but thought that was better.” After pitting for four tires and fuel, Elliott gained a position on pit road. Fourth to choose his lane, he lined up on the inside of row two for the restart on lap 116. Elliott held strong in the top five over the opening laps of the run before dropping to sixth on lap 124. He was running in eighth when green-flag pit stops began. Again, the team opted to run long to gain a tire advantage. Elliott cycled to the lead prior to pitting on lap 151 for four tires and fuel. He returned to the track in 19th and battled his way to 13th to end the stage on lap 185.
Following a four-tire pit stop by the No. 9 UniFirst team, Elliott was 11th to choose his lane to start the final stage. He took the green flag from the outside of row seven on lap 193 and was running in 14th when the caution flag was displayed on lap 197. Crew chief Alan Gustafson called Elliott to pit road for four tires and fuel. With a few teams opting not to pit, Elliott lined up 15th for the lap-203 restart. He worked his way to 14th on lap 209 but started to fade as the run went on. Elliott relayed that his No. 9 UniFirst Chevy was “plowing tight” before dropping to 20th. He visited pit road on lap 241 for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment to help his Chevy’s handling. After returning to the track, he improved to 16th with 45 laps to go. Despite a couple of cars on fresher tires getting by Elliott shortly after, he was able to regain some ground in the closing laps. When the checkered flag waved, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native crossed the stripe in 15th.
Elliott remains fifth in the Cup Series points standings, now 131 markers behind the leader.
Start / Finish: 3 / 15
Points Standing / Total: 5th / 194 pts. (-131)
Next Race: Sunday, March 29, Martinsville Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 3:30 p.m. ET on FS1, SiriusXM or MRN
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