At 18, Chase Elliott is taking a stab at rewriting history

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 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.

JRM PR