Elliott Drives to Third-Place Finish in Second Duel at Daytona

• Chase Elliott was 14th fastest in Wednesday night’s DAYTONA 500 qualifying, putting him in the second Duel at Daytona International Speedway on Thursday evening.
• The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion started the second Duel from the seventh position and battled inside the top 10 for a majority of the race, ultimately crossing the line in third with his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.
• With the third-place result, Elliott will line up eighth for Sunday’s 65th running of the DAYTONA 500.

After laying down the 14th fastest lap in Wednesday night’s DAYTONA 500 qualifying, Chase Elliott started seventh in the second Duel on Thursday evening at Daytona International Speedway. From the drop of the green flag, the Dawsonville, Georgia, native maintained his top-10 running position and was in seventh when the first caution of the night came out on lap seven for debris on the backstretch. Under the yellow flag, Elliott reported that he liked the way his No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 drove. After a fuel-only pit stop by the No. 9 crew, the 27-year-old driver lined up seventh for the restart on lap 10.

As a long green-flag run ensued, the field began to run single-file. Elliott was running in the sixth position until he made a move to the outside with 21 laps to go. Just two laps later the caution flag waved for a multi-car incident on the backstretch. The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion narrowly escaped the melee and was scored in the 10th position. The team made another fuel-only pit stop and then decided to bring the NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet back in for four fresh tires. Elliott restarted just outside the top 10 with 14 laps remaining and maneuvered his way to ninth within two laps. He continued to improve his position from there, making moves on the final lap to score a third-place finish.

With the third-place result, Elliott will start eighth in Sunday’s 65th running of the DAYTONA 500.

“I had a pretty good run going. Austin (Hill) blocked that and then that kind of stalled the top,” Elliott said. “Then from there, we got really lucky because whoever got loose made a great save up there because I thought we were all wrecked. It was good to get back to third there and get a good start for Sunday. We will try and make our No. 9 NAPA Auto Parts Chevy drive a little better; keep the same pace and I think we’ll be alright.”

Start / Finish: 7/ 3

Next Race: Sunday, February 19, Daytona International Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 2:00 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN and SiriusXM

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Chase Elliott: @ChaseElliott
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No. 9 Team: @Hendrick9Team