Top-10 at Charlotte Keeps Elliott in Championship Hunt

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In: Xfinity Series News

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet, finished ninth in Friday’s Drive For The Cure 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  It was Elliott’s series leading 23rd top-10 finish, keeping him in control of the second position in the championship points standings.  Elliott trails leader Chris Buescher by 26 points with four races remaining in the 2015 season.  Austin Dillon led three times for 61 laps on his way to his sixth career NXS victory.

After a 17th place qualifying effort, Elliott bolted out of the gates early with an impressive start to the race.  Elliott tasted fifth-place on lap three, gaining 12 positions in the early going.  Elliott would eventually settle in seventh and maintain a consistent pace inside the top-10 for the first half of the race.  Elliott described to his crew chief Ernie Cope that he was free on the top of the race track and needed more stability in order to make his line work.  Cope and the NAPA team went to work on Elliott’s ride once the caution fell on lap 49.  They made a chassis adjustment to help his maneuvering capability on the top.  Within two laps after taking the ensuing green flag he reported the car was turning much better.

As the race continued, Elliott would come to pit road for a crucial stop under caution.  Although Elliott lost one position on pit road, coming out 11th on lap 143, Cope and the NAPA team made sure they filled the Chevy full of fuel to make it to the end.  Elliott would go on to carve his way up to the ninth where he would finish the 200-lap race.

Dillon bested Erik Jones, Brad Keselowski, Daniel Suarez and Regan Smith for his fourth NXS victory in 2015.

Chase Elliott, driver No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS team

“We had a tough night.  We just couldn’t get our car where we needed it to be in order to make a run at it.  I was happy with the way we fired off for the most part tonight, but as each run went on, we just couldn’t sustain our position.  We would get the NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevy where it turned better and the front end would start to dial in, but give up the rear end.  It made it tough to maintain consistency through each corner.  We’ll regroup and turn our attention to next week’s 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway.”

JR Motorsports PR

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