Chase Elliott to be NASCAR In-Race Reporter at Indy
At 18, Chase Elliott is taking a stab at rewriting history.
MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 22, 2014) – What were you doing when you were 18? Chase Elliott is winning NASCAR Nationwide Series races.
It was only fitting last week at Chicagoland Speedway that the 18-year-old rookie and star of NAPA AUTO PARTS’ “When I Was 18” advertising campaign won the 18th race of the season. It was his third win in 2014 – the most for a rookie driver since 2005 when Carl Edwards scored five wins. It also helped Elliott retake the points lead, as now he is one of three drivers who’ve distanced themselves from the peloton and established themselves as championship worthy contenders.
With his timely return to winning form, Elliott heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway this weekend with a realistic shot at fulfilling a dream – winning at the famed Brickyard. Like many other tracks on the circuit, Elliott hasn’t raced at IMS, but his memories run deep there as his dad, Bill Elliott, won the 2002 Brickyard 400. Chase was six at the time.
Saturday’s Lilly Diabetes 250 will begin at 4 p.m. ET on ESPN. As NASCAR In-Race Reporter, Elliott will provide exclusive commentary from the cockpit of his No. 9 NAPA Chevrolet. Also, Elliott is eligible for Nationwide Insurance’s “Dash 4 Cash” $100,000 bonus by way of his finish last Saturday at Chicago. Should Elliott finish higher than fellow Nationwide Series competitors Trevor Bayne, Ty Dillon and Brian Scott, this Saturday, he will win the third $100,000 payout.
In addition to his overall points lead, Elliott enters the weekend leading the Sunoco Rookie of the Year standings by 54 points over Ty Dillon.
Driver Quotes | Chase Elliott
On Winning at Chicagoland:
“Each of us on the NAPA AUTO PARTS team has a very important role each week, and going into Chicago I felt if we all completed our tasks to the best of our abilities we could have a good night. I was very proud of our effort there, and hopefully we can keep it going. It feels good to be back in the points lead.”
On Indianapolis Motor Speedway:
“Just the word ‘Indianapolis’ is enough in itself. It’s such a prestigious place with years of racing memories. It is great to see the Nationwide Series share the weekend with the Cup guys now, and it’s one date I’ve been looking forward to all season long.”
NASCAR Nationwide Series TV Schedule
All times Eastern Standard Time (EST)
Friday, July 25
8:30 AM NASCAR Nationwide Series Practice FOX Sports 1
10:30 AM NASCAR Nationwide Series Final Practice FOX Sports 1
Saturday, July 26
12:10 PM NASCAR Nationwide Series Qualifying FOX Sports 1
4:30 PM NASCAR Nationwide Series Race ESPN
RADIO: MRN & Sirius XM Ch 90 (4:00 pm EST)
2014 Nationwide Series Driver Points
1. Chase Elliott………………………………………… 646
2. Regan Smith………………………………………….. -7
3. Elliott Sadler…………………………………………… -8
4. Ty Dillon……………………………………………… -30
5. Brian Scott…………………………………………… -47
2014 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Points
1. Chase Elliott………………………………………… 250
2. Ty Dillon……………………………………………… -54
3. Chris Buescher………………………………………. -79
4. Ryan Reed………………………………………….. -115
5. Dylan Kwasniewski………………………………… -123
NAPA AUTO PARTS:@theNAPAnetwork
CHASE ELLIOTT:@ChaseElliott
JR MOTORSPORTS: @JRMotorsports