Catchfence

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. (November 8, 2010) - Chase Elliott’s fifth-place finish in the Strutmasters.com 300 at South Boston Speedway, his third top-five finish in the past four USAR Pro Cup Championship events, served notice that he and his Red Bull team will be a formidable outfit when the 2011 season gets under way. His South Boston finish comes on the heels of a second-place run at Greenville-Pickens and another fifth-place finish at Bristol Motor
Speedway. “I am excited about our plans to run in this series next year and feel like we can be very competitive now that we have run a few races,” the 14-year-old racer said.

Elliott qualified his Red Bull ford ninth among 22 drivers. The pole and the eventual race win went to Caleb Holman. The series championship was won by Clay Rogers, who now is tied with Bobby Gill for career USAR titles with four apiece.

For Elliott, it was another chance to learn how to improve his car during a long-distance race. Once the green flag flew to start the 300-lap USAR season finale, he maintained the ninth position in the early going. On Lap 18 Danny Abold brought out the first caution hitting the wall in Turn Two.

After the restart on Lap 24 A.J. Frank got around Elliott, putting him back in 10th position. But when the caution came out again on Lap 38 he had moved back into the ninth position.

Crew Chief Ricky Turner asked Elliott for feedback on his car, and the young driver replied: “When I start off a run I’m too tight, but the longer the run the better it seems to get.”

Turner answered: “OK. For now, just pace yourself. We will make adjustments when we pit.” The green flag flew again on Lap 43, and Elliott and the top ten drivers raced to maintain their positions. Elliott was working every lap to pass yet not be passed.

At Lap 83 Turner advised: “Change up your entry into [Turns] Three and Four. Try getting in lower.”

Elliott tried to follow the suggestion but still was unable to pass. A caution on Lap 135 gave Elliott an opportunity to pit for chassis adjustments and fuel. Elliott came back out in ninth and soon took over the eighth position and then seventh after moving around J.P. Morgan. His car was still a little tight, and a caution on Lap 190 gave the Red Bull pit crew an opportunity to put on fresh tires and make another chassis adjustment.

Still, the team was able to gain two positions in the pits, which moved Elliott into fifth for the restart on Lap 196. For the next 15 laps Elliott and Brandon Ward traded that position until Elliott took it as well as the fourth spot from Logan Ruffin on Lap 215.

The next caution, on Lap 228, couldn’t have been more timely for series champion, Rogers, as he had a tire going down just as Tyler Young hit the wall in Turn Three. Rogers pitted, moving Elliott to third for the restart, but Blake Jones took that position on Lap 235, and Rogers put Elliott back to fifth on Lap 247.

Fifty laps into the run Elliott’s car was coming on and he had tracked Jones back down. Elliott was up to Jones quarter panel when the final caution of the day came out for debris. Fighting a tight car at the beginning of each restart he was never able to get back to Jones and finished the race in fifth place.

Elliott’s next race will be this coming weekend at Gresham Motorsports Park. He will prepare this week to run both the Pro Late Model 125 event on Saturday evening, November 13th, and the Super Late Model World Crown 300 on Sunday November 14th.

- Bill Elliott Racing Press Release