Kimberly Grace Bowman
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Victory at Last!
August 5, 2018
Right out of the gate you would have thought it was the final lap of the whole race with cars nearly spreading out 3-wide and shuffles and slides adding to the intense drama. For anti-road course fans (me included), the race had already begun to win me…I mean win most fans over.
LAP 2: Joey Logano spins, but the race stays green as the no. 22 steers clear of the pack.
LAP 4: A caution definitely flies when the no. 10 of Aric Almirola takes a spin. Chase Elliott would restart 3rd.
By the sixth lap of the race, the no. 9 was staring down his lens at the no. 11, eyeing a position up front in an aggressive battle with Denny Hamlin. But green flag pit stops and some strategy up front left the team limping in the middle of the pack in 18th place to finish Stage One. Martin Truex Jr. took the green/white checkered flag.
Restarting in 3rd after pit stops cycled everyone through, Chase dove to 2nd place almost immediately upon the restart.
LAP 28: Chase Elliott takes the lead for the first time of the day.
With a strong dominant hand, the no. 9 captured the green/white checkered flag for Stage Two at Watkins Glen. In a strategic move, Elliott’s team chose not to pit in order to keep their lead. But the story was all too familiar. Many fans (including myself) were probably not getting too excited. A stage win is exciting, but after so many tries and no success, I’m sure the majority of the public was just waiting to see what would happen.
Starting Stage Three in the lead, Elliott fell to 2nd quickly. After a caution, he regained first, springing to what was a very solid lead with 26 laps led so far. With 18 laps left to go, Elliott maintained a 1.25 second average lead over the no. 78 of Martin Truex, Jr. who began closing on the young driver rather quickly. With 15 laps to go, the gap was narrowed at nearly .8 seconds between the two cars, the numbers fluctuating by the second as the race began to draw to a close.
With every fan on the edge of their seat, the no. 15 spun, threatening a caution that thankfully did not show, giving Elliott one more edge toward the win.
With one lap remaining and his first win within his grasp, Chase Elliott had a rearview mirror full of the no. 78. But luck was not on the opposing team’s side as Truex ran out of fuel, giving Chase just enough momentum to bring home the checkered flag for the first time in his career in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series!
Chase now is tied with his legendary father for waiting 99 consecutive starts before claiming his first win. He also has scored eight runner-up finishes identically to his father. And to top it all off, both father and son claimed their first victory at a road course, Bill Elliott at Riverside and now Chase Elliott at Watkins Glen. And the legend still lives on.
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August 5, 2018
Right out of the gate you would have thought it was the final lap of the whole race with cars nearly spreading out 3-wide and shuffles and slides adding to the intense drama. For anti-road course fans (me included), the race had already begun to win me…I mean win most fans over.
LAP 2: Joey Logano spins, but the race stays green as the no. 22 steers clear of the pack.
LAP 4: A caution definitely flies when the no. 10 of Aric Almirola takes a spin. Chase Elliott would restart 3rd.
By the sixth lap of the race, the no. 9 was staring down his lens at the no. 11, eyeing a position up front in an aggressive battle with Denny Hamlin. But green flag pit stops and some strategy up front left the team limping in the middle of the pack in 18th place to finish Stage One. Martin Truex Jr. took the green/white checkered flag.
Restarting in 3rd after pit stops cycled everyone through, Chase dove to 2nd place almost immediately upon the restart.
LAP 28: Chase Elliott takes the lead for the first time of the day.
With a strong dominant hand, the no. 9 captured the green/white checkered flag for Stage Two at Watkins Glen. In a strategic move, Elliott’s team chose not to pit in order to keep their lead. But the story was all too familiar. Many fans (including myself) were probably not getting too excited. A stage win is exciting, but after so many tries and no success, I’m sure the majority of the public was just waiting to see what would happen.
Starting Stage Three in the lead, Elliott fell to 2nd quickly. After a caution, he regained first, springing to what was a very solid lead with 26 laps led so far. With 18 laps left to go, Elliott maintained a 1.25 second average lead over the no. 78 of Martin Truex, Jr. who began closing on the young driver rather quickly. With 15 laps to go, the gap was narrowed at nearly .8 seconds between the two cars, the numbers fluctuating by the second as the race began to draw to a close.
With every fan on the edge of their seat, the no. 15 spun, threatening a caution that thankfully did not show, giving Elliott one more edge toward the win.
With one lap remaining and his first win within his grasp, Chase Elliott had a rearview mirror full of the no. 78. But luck was not on the opposing team’s side as Truex ran out of fuel, giving Chase just enough momentum to bring home the checkered flag for the first time in his career in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series!
Chase now is tied with his legendary father for waiting 99 consecutive starts before claiming his first win. He also has scored eight runner-up finishes identically to his father. And to top it all off, both father and son claimed their first victory at a road course, Bill Elliott at Riverside and now Chase Elliott at Watkins Glen. And the legend still lives on.
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Shop here now for new NASCAR gear!
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Pocono Recap
July 29, 2018
After a distasteful Daytona finish left Chase Elliott limping away in 15th before the end of the race, the young driver capped off 13th at Kentucky, having maintained a mid-field position most of the day. However, the tides turned this past week for the no. 9 as they headed to the Tricky Triangle.
As pole newcomer Daniel Suarez led the field to green, Elliott rolled off the grid in 6th, not letting go of his pace for a good portion of stage one. With 28 to go, Elliott had climbed up to 2nd as green flag pit stops cycled through. The crew gave him four tires as Elliott reported that the car was a bit tight, and then the no. 9 returned to the track having lost some position. After gaining five positions within the next five laps, Elliott rejoined the top ten with less than 20 laps remaining in stage one.
With only 11 laps to go, a battle for the lead heated up, opening the gate for Chase to make a pass for the number one position and leaving the no. 11 of Denny Hamlin in the dust. Although his lead narrowed somewhat, a decent .3 second margin of lead remained as Elliott captured the green/white checkered flag at Pocono, claiming the stage one win.
Unfortunately, Elliott restarted the race in 4th place for stage two after pit stops were made. The Napa Chevy was far from backing down, though, charging forward to 2nd place almost immediately. By lap 121 with 39 to go in the stage, Elliott was battling Kevin Harvick for the lead. The no. 4 of Harvick would claim the lead, sending Elliott to 3rd with 31 laps to go. A caution with approximately 20 laps to go in stage two put Elliott right behind the leader for the restart. Although pleased with the car, especially in shifting, the no. 9 would have to surrender the second stage win to Harvick.
Elliott would restart in 8th for stage three before a caution several laps later would move him up to 4th for the restart. Yet another caution would fly almost immediately after a brief 5-wide drama ensued. Despite a fair amount of shuffling upon the restart, Elliott maintained a 3rd place position for the majority of the laps left in the race until a devastatingly hard hit into the wall by Darrell Wallace, Jr., due to failed brakes, would reset the field with around 7 laps remaining. With just 3 laps to go and riding in 4th place, Elliott was alert. Another caution sent the race into overtime, in which a loose no. 9 drifted back to 8th to finish the race, handing the checkered flag to the no. 18 of Kyle Busch.
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July 29, 2018
After a distasteful Daytona finish left Chase Elliott limping away in 15th before the end of the race, the young driver capped off 13th at Kentucky, having maintained a mid-field position most of the day. However, the tides turned this past week for the no. 9 as they headed to the Tricky Triangle.
As pole newcomer Daniel Suarez led the field to green, Elliott rolled off the grid in 6th, not letting go of his pace for a good portion of stage one. With 28 to go, Elliott had climbed up to 2nd as green flag pit stops cycled through. The crew gave him four tires as Elliott reported that the car was a bit tight, and then the no. 9 returned to the track having lost some position. After gaining five positions within the next five laps, Elliott rejoined the top ten with less than 20 laps remaining in stage one.
With only 11 laps to go, a battle for the lead heated up, opening the gate for Chase to make a pass for the number one position and leaving the no. 11 of Denny Hamlin in the dust. Although his lead narrowed somewhat, a decent .3 second margin of lead remained as Elliott captured the green/white checkered flag at Pocono, claiming the stage one win.
Unfortunately, Elliott restarted the race in 4th place for stage two after pit stops were made. The Napa Chevy was far from backing down, though, charging forward to 2nd place almost immediately. By lap 121 with 39 to go in the stage, Elliott was battling Kevin Harvick for the lead. The no. 4 of Harvick would claim the lead, sending Elliott to 3rd with 31 laps to go. A caution with approximately 20 laps to go in stage two put Elliott right behind the leader for the restart. Although pleased with the car, especially in shifting, the no. 9 would have to surrender the second stage win to Harvick.
Elliott would restart in 8th for stage three before a caution several laps later would move him up to 4th for the restart. Yet another caution would fly almost immediately after a brief 5-wide drama ensued. Despite a fair amount of shuffling upon the restart, Elliott maintained a 3rd place position for the majority of the laps left in the race until a devastatingly hard hit into the wall by Darrell Wallace, Jr., due to failed brakes, would reset the field with around 7 laps remaining. With just 3 laps to go and riding in 4th place, Elliott was alert. Another caution sent the race into overtime, in which a loose no. 9 drifted back to 8th to finish the race, handing the checkered flag to the no. 18 of Kyle Busch.
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The Daytona Dive
July 7, 2018
Chase Elliott’s track record at Daytona is both scintillating and disheartening. But at the end of the day, Daytona International Speedway is a track that Elliott excels at from the perspective of his skills. Speed is on his side. He already has a duel win under his belt and another pole position added to his resume after this past weekend in the sunshine state. But unfortunately, the clouds gathered over the 22-year-old’s night under the lights after this week’s event at Daytona.
From the drop of the green flag, Elliott soared as he kept a hold on first place for the first few laps. The top line was his friend while the no. 2 moved down low to lead the bottom line around lap 5, about seven car links back. Steady stacking led to some shuffling; but Chase managed to still hang on to the lead at lap 7. By lap 14 though, Elliott found himself leading the bottom line while shuffling from various drivers began to mix some things up. With 16 laps to go, Elliott had dropped to 13th. And three laps later, Elliott found himself behind other lead cars with “not enough help” to give him the push and speed he needed to gain position. The first stage win went to the no. 17 while Chase managed to clinch a 5th place finish.
Elliott would restart the race in 6th place to begin stage two. Not much position was gained or lost in the few laps that were ran when the no. 21 spun bringing out a caution at lap 49. Again, Chase would restart in 6th.
As he seems to so brilliantly be able to do, Elliott balanced the field in his hand, maintaining speed and avoiding drama for most of the next twenty laps or so. Then that’s when the entire race shifted, and the “big one” raised its ugly head. A nerve-wracking battle for the lead between the 2 and 24 was staunchly interrupted. Elliott was collected in the ordeal but managed to stay in the running after extensive pit repairs. After restarting in 34th, Chase’s hopes for a Daytona win were dashed yet again as another “big one” collected him for good this time, ending his day for certain.
Chase Elliott leaves Daytona having lost one position in the points, landing in 14th and 37 points above the cut line in order to make the playoffs. A win still remains to be captured by the no. 9 team this year.
After what was one of the most exciting races of the season, Erik Jones captured his first NASCAR MENCS win of his career. Congrats to Jones and the entire Joe Gibbs Racing no. 20 team!
In other news this week, Mountain Dew has extended their partnership with Hendrick Motorsports through 2020 and has named Elliott as the leading face of the campaign.
We at Ladies Of Speed wish Elliott all the best as he continues searching for his first win at Kentucky this coming weekend.
Follow and chat with me here: @kimberlygrace__
Shop here now for new NASCAR gear!
July 7, 2018
Chase Elliott’s track record at Daytona is both scintillating and disheartening. But at the end of the day, Daytona International Speedway is a track that Elliott excels at from the perspective of his skills. Speed is on his side. He already has a duel win under his belt and another pole position added to his resume after this past weekend in the sunshine state. But unfortunately, the clouds gathered over the 22-year-old’s night under the lights after this week’s event at Daytona.
From the drop of the green flag, Elliott soared as he kept a hold on first place for the first few laps. The top line was his friend while the no. 2 moved down low to lead the bottom line around lap 5, about seven car links back. Steady stacking led to some shuffling; but Chase managed to still hang on to the lead at lap 7. By lap 14 though, Elliott found himself leading the bottom line while shuffling from various drivers began to mix some things up. With 16 laps to go, Elliott had dropped to 13th. And three laps later, Elliott found himself behind other lead cars with “not enough help” to give him the push and speed he needed to gain position. The first stage win went to the no. 17 while Chase managed to clinch a 5th place finish.
Elliott would restart the race in 6th place to begin stage two. Not much position was gained or lost in the few laps that were ran when the no. 21 spun bringing out a caution at lap 49. Again, Chase would restart in 6th.
As he seems to so brilliantly be able to do, Elliott balanced the field in his hand, maintaining speed and avoiding drama for most of the next twenty laps or so. Then that’s when the entire race shifted, and the “big one” raised its ugly head. A nerve-wracking battle for the lead between the 2 and 24 was staunchly interrupted. Elliott was collected in the ordeal but managed to stay in the running after extensive pit repairs. After restarting in 34th, Chase’s hopes for a Daytona win were dashed yet again as another “big one” collected him for good this time, ending his day for certain.
Chase Elliott leaves Daytona having lost one position in the points, landing in 14th and 37 points above the cut line in order to make the playoffs. A win still remains to be captured by the no. 9 team this year.
After what was one of the most exciting races of the season, Erik Jones captured his first NASCAR MENCS win of his career. Congrats to Jones and the entire Joe Gibbs Racing no. 20 team!
In other news this week, Mountain Dew has extended their partnership with Hendrick Motorsports through 2020 and has named Elliott as the leading face of the campaign.
We at Ladies Of Speed wish Elliott all the best as he continues searching for his first win at Kentucky this coming weekend.
Follow and chat with me here: @kimberlygrace__
Shop here now for new NASCAR gear!
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Chicagoland
July 1st, 2018
Chase Elliott’s weekend at Chicagoland Speedway started off well with a 3rd place start on the second row. As the green flag waved Elliott quickly jumped to 2nd, averaging half a second behind the leader. By Lap 25 though, Elliott found himself sinking slowly back into the top 10 to settle in 7th place. As green flag stops circulated with 34 laps to go, he maintained pace in 15th. He climbed back into the top 10 with less than ten laps remaining. With nine to go, Elliott was in 9th place, remaining there for the rest of the stage while Aric Almirola secured the Stage One win.
Stage Two at Chicago struck with action as drivers left it all on the track, cars quickly shuffling into 4-wide briefly. Upon restarting in 6th place, Elliott moved to 5th soon after. He would continue to maintain this position as a debris caution waved with 32 laps to go in Stage Two. Ryan Blaney charged to the front, Elliott drifting to 8th as Almirola was forced to pit with a loose wheel and surrendered the lead to the no. 41. Elliott held on to 7th place for the remainder of Stage Two, Kevin Harvick making a dramatic last lap pass against the 41 to capture the stage win.
The final stage would bring the greatest drama of the entire day. With a rain threat in the area and car temperatures in upwards of 152 degrees, exhausted drivers held on to see how the race would unfold for each of them. A caution at Lap 177 for Denny Hamlin spinning resulted in Elliott still in 7th place at the restart. But a huge shuffle on restart resulted in a gutsy move that plowed the team into 4th place. Slowly but surely, the no. 18 of Kyle Busch was inching his way to the front, challenging the 4 and 42 as the race continued on. Meanwhile, Chase Elliott began drifting back to, at this point, 8th place. After a caution for the 72 slow on the track, Elliott would restart in 7th. Most teams refused new tires during this caution.
With less than 30 laps to go at Chicagoland, the sun began to peek out, giving hope that they would be able to finish the race completely. Unfortunately, Elliott’s day gradually became worse, the no. 9 hovering around midfield in 17th and eventually 19th with 20 laps remaining. With 10 laps to go, Elliott went one lap down to Kyle Busch, leaving the 18 and 42 in a heated battle for the finish. In the aftermath of the two Kyles’ history-making checkers and wreckers, Elliott would follow and cross the finish line in 19th place and one lap down.
In the points, Chase Elliott is currently 14th and 68 points above the cut line to make the playoffs.
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July 1st, 2018
Chase Elliott’s weekend at Chicagoland Speedway started off well with a 3rd place start on the second row. As the green flag waved Elliott quickly jumped to 2nd, averaging half a second behind the leader. By Lap 25 though, Elliott found himself sinking slowly back into the top 10 to settle in 7th place. As green flag stops circulated with 34 laps to go, he maintained pace in 15th. He climbed back into the top 10 with less than ten laps remaining. With nine to go, Elliott was in 9th place, remaining there for the rest of the stage while Aric Almirola secured the Stage One win.
Stage Two at Chicago struck with action as drivers left it all on the track, cars quickly shuffling into 4-wide briefly. Upon restarting in 6th place, Elliott moved to 5th soon after. He would continue to maintain this position as a debris caution waved with 32 laps to go in Stage Two. Ryan Blaney charged to the front, Elliott drifting to 8th as Almirola was forced to pit with a loose wheel and surrendered the lead to the no. 41. Elliott held on to 7th place for the remainder of Stage Two, Kevin Harvick making a dramatic last lap pass against the 41 to capture the stage win.
The final stage would bring the greatest drama of the entire day. With a rain threat in the area and car temperatures in upwards of 152 degrees, exhausted drivers held on to see how the race would unfold for each of them. A caution at Lap 177 for Denny Hamlin spinning resulted in Elliott still in 7th place at the restart. But a huge shuffle on restart resulted in a gutsy move that plowed the team into 4th place. Slowly but surely, the no. 18 of Kyle Busch was inching his way to the front, challenging the 4 and 42 as the race continued on. Meanwhile, Chase Elliott began drifting back to, at this point, 8th place. After a caution for the 72 slow on the track, Elliott would restart in 7th. Most teams refused new tires during this caution.
With less than 30 laps to go at Chicagoland, the sun began to peek out, giving hope that they would be able to finish the race completely. Unfortunately, Elliott’s day gradually became worse, the no. 9 hovering around midfield in 17th and eventually 19th with 20 laps remaining. With 10 laps to go, Elliott went one lap down to Kyle Busch, leaving the 18 and 42 in a heated battle for the finish. In the aftermath of the two Kyles’ history-making checkers and wreckers, Elliott would follow and cross the finish line in 19th place and one lap down.
In the points, Chase Elliott is currently 14th and 68 points above the cut line to make the playoffs.
Follow and chat with me here: @kimberlygrace__
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Sonoma Recap
June 24th, 2018
Bright and sunny skies greeted the eager Sunday racers this past weekend in the wine country of Sonoma, California. With a starting position of 3rd place, Chase Elliott was poised to defeat the west coast road course for good.
In the past, Sonoma has not played well into Elliott’s favor over the course of his career so far. During his rookie year, Elliott finished in the middle of the field in 21st place. The following year in the most recent visit to Sonoma, the young driver would improve his standings to finish in a record-setting top 10 in 8th place. This year, another record has been set.
Racing at Sonoma for the no. 9 Chevrolet team began as a pace setting day. By lap two they had already lost one position but continued to rebound, challenging the no. 42 for top-five positions as Kyle Larson slowly lost his crowning pole position. As A.J. Allmendinger excelled forward and challenged Truex for the leading position, Elliott maintained his top-five glory to finish Stage One in 4th place.
Pit road strategy didn’t play out well for the no. 9 team though. Elliott would restart the race in 14th place, slowly drifting back to 17th by lap 7 of Stage Two. Crowd favorite, A.J. Allmendinger, brought out the first and only caution of the day at lap 11 following a missed shift which resulted in a blown engine. With the 47 and 1 headed to the garage and pit stops circled through, Elliott restarted the race in 13th place. By lap 15 of the second stage, Elliott had worked his way back into the top ten. And by the end of the entire stage, Elliott had rebounded to come away with a 2nd place finish against Stage Two winner Denny Hamlin.
Again, pit stops failed the team in the numbers department. Elliott would restart 17th, the farthest back in the field that he had been all day. But by 50 laps to go in the final stage, Elliott found himself back in the top 10 in 8th place. With 41 laps to go, he had slowly crept up to the rear of the top five, inching his way ever so subtle to weave his way into 3rd place with only 33 laps to go. But in a cruel twist of fate, Elliott lost track position in just a few short laps, finding himself in 13th with 29 laps remaining at Sonoma.
Twenty-seven laps to go and we began to see a turnaround for the no. 9 team. Sixth place never looked as good as what was speculated to be the final pit stops of the day were completed. Elliott claimed 5th place with 22 laps to go. Meanwhile, Martin Truex Jr. was busy chasing down the no. 4 with what was clearly the quicker of the two battling cars. With 13 laps to go, Truex and Kevin Harvick had a rear-view mirror full of Chase Elliott’s no. 9 Chevrolet as he claimed the next spot. But they weren’t as good as they had hoped to be, drifting back to finish in 4th place against the 78, 4, and the 14. Congrats to Martin Truex Jr., on his Sonoma win!
Chase Elliott leaves Sonoma in 14th place in points with 411 points total.
“It was a lot more fun this trip out here than it has been the first two times. Made a lot of gains personally. I think for me here at this track it’s been one of my worst. To come here, have pace Friday, and qualify good yesterday and have good pace today; it was just a lot more fun when it’s that way…” – Chase Elliott (post-race interview)
Follow and chat with me here: @kimberlygrace__
Shop here now for new NASCAR gear!
June 24th, 2018
Bright and sunny skies greeted the eager Sunday racers this past weekend in the wine country of Sonoma, California. With a starting position of 3rd place, Chase Elliott was poised to defeat the west coast road course for good.
In the past, Sonoma has not played well into Elliott’s favor over the course of his career so far. During his rookie year, Elliott finished in the middle of the field in 21st place. The following year in the most recent visit to Sonoma, the young driver would improve his standings to finish in a record-setting top 10 in 8th place. This year, another record has been set.
Racing at Sonoma for the no. 9 Chevrolet team began as a pace setting day. By lap two they had already lost one position but continued to rebound, challenging the no. 42 for top-five positions as Kyle Larson slowly lost his crowning pole position. As A.J. Allmendinger excelled forward and challenged Truex for the leading position, Elliott maintained his top-five glory to finish Stage One in 4th place.
Pit road strategy didn’t play out well for the no. 9 team though. Elliott would restart the race in 14th place, slowly drifting back to 17th by lap 7 of Stage Two. Crowd favorite, A.J. Allmendinger, brought out the first and only caution of the day at lap 11 following a missed shift which resulted in a blown engine. With the 47 and 1 headed to the garage and pit stops circled through, Elliott restarted the race in 13th place. By lap 15 of the second stage, Elliott had worked his way back into the top ten. And by the end of the entire stage, Elliott had rebounded to come away with a 2nd place finish against Stage Two winner Denny Hamlin.
Again, pit stops failed the team in the numbers department. Elliott would restart 17th, the farthest back in the field that he had been all day. But by 50 laps to go in the final stage, Elliott found himself back in the top 10 in 8th place. With 41 laps to go, he had slowly crept up to the rear of the top five, inching his way ever so subtle to weave his way into 3rd place with only 33 laps to go. But in a cruel twist of fate, Elliott lost track position in just a few short laps, finding himself in 13th with 29 laps remaining at Sonoma.
Twenty-seven laps to go and we began to see a turnaround for the no. 9 team. Sixth place never looked as good as what was speculated to be the final pit stops of the day were completed. Elliott claimed 5th place with 22 laps to go. Meanwhile, Martin Truex Jr. was busy chasing down the no. 4 with what was clearly the quicker of the two battling cars. With 13 laps to go, Truex and Kevin Harvick had a rear-view mirror full of Chase Elliott’s no. 9 Chevrolet as he claimed the next spot. But they weren’t as good as they had hoped to be, drifting back to finish in 4th place against the 78, 4, and the 14. Congrats to Martin Truex Jr., on his Sonoma win!
Chase Elliott leaves Sonoma in 14th place in points with 411 points total.
“It was a lot more fun this trip out here than it has been the first two times. Made a lot of gains personally. I think for me here at this track it’s been one of my worst. To come here, have pace Friday, and qualify good yesterday and have good pace today; it was just a lot more fun when it’s that way…” – Chase Elliott (post-race interview)
Follow and chat with me here: @kimberlygrace__
Shop here now for new NASCAR gear!
That place sure was a lot more fun this trip than it’s been, if y’all only knew my struggles the first two years there you’d understand how nice it felt to be solid today. Good effort by my group all around, strategy was ??
— Chase Elliott (@chaseelliott) June 25, 2018
That Much Closer: A Recap
June 14th, 2018
With still no win to speak of, Chase Elliott has managed to remain a constant for the 2018 season. His best finish so far coming at Richmond this past April. This isn’t the first time Elliott has had to settle for second, clocking in several second place finishes over the past few years including at the same track we just left behind…Michigan.
This time, Michigan did not fare as well for the driver of the #9 Chevrolet as he came across the finish line in 9th place. Phoenix and Talladega remain his next most successful tracks so far, serving him with a 3rd place finish at both tracks. Las Vegas has brought him the most bad luck so far with a 34th place finish, Daytona coming in right behind with a 33rd place finish. Elliott would also finish 29th at Bristol.
After a couple of successful top 10 finishes, Elliott’s stats began to tumble somewhat. Over the past few weeks, Elliott has been unable to crack the top 10, finishing 12th and 11th respectively. This week at Michigan, Elliott finally broke into the top 10 again with his 9th place finish.
The #9 was saddled with a few penalties over the course of the season so far. Texas and Phoenix both resulted in penalties, Texas because of a rear window not correctly in place and Phoenix because of a rear suspension violation.
Next up after the off week, the MENCS heads to Sonoma, a track Elliott has improved at over time. His first visit to Sonoma resulted in a 21st place finish. The following year, he managed to pull off a well-improved 8th place finish. Look for great things from the #9 team in the near future.
For the week of the off weekend, Chase Elliott is spending some well-deserved relaxation across the pond in Europe while the rest of us await a lone weekend of no MENCS racing before the series takes us to Sonoma.
Follow and chat with me here: @kimberlygrace__
Shop here now for new NASCAR gear!
June 14th, 2018
With still no win to speak of, Chase Elliott has managed to remain a constant for the 2018 season. His best finish so far coming at Richmond this past April. This isn’t the first time Elliott has had to settle for second, clocking in several second place finishes over the past few years including at the same track we just left behind…Michigan.
This time, Michigan did not fare as well for the driver of the #9 Chevrolet as he came across the finish line in 9th place. Phoenix and Talladega remain his next most successful tracks so far, serving him with a 3rd place finish at both tracks. Las Vegas has brought him the most bad luck so far with a 34th place finish, Daytona coming in right behind with a 33rd place finish. Elliott would also finish 29th at Bristol.
After a couple of successful top 10 finishes, Elliott’s stats began to tumble somewhat. Over the past few weeks, Elliott has been unable to crack the top 10, finishing 12th and 11th respectively. This week at Michigan, Elliott finally broke into the top 10 again with his 9th place finish.
The #9 was saddled with a few penalties over the course of the season so far. Texas and Phoenix both resulted in penalties, Texas because of a rear window not correctly in place and Phoenix because of a rear suspension violation.
Next up after the off week, the MENCS heads to Sonoma, a track Elliott has improved at over time. His first visit to Sonoma resulted in a 21st place finish. The following year, he managed to pull off a well-improved 8th place finish. Look for great things from the #9 team in the near future.
For the week of the off weekend, Chase Elliott is spending some well-deserved relaxation across the pond in Europe while the rest of us await a lone weekend of no MENCS racing before the series takes us to Sonoma.
Follow and chat with me here: @kimberlygrace__
Shop here now for new NASCAR gear!
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The Clash
February 16, 2018
New year. New car. New number. Fresh slate. Lasting legacy.
Chase Elliott’s first official laps in the no. 9 were no less than impressive, waving a good solid hello and welcome to the 2018 season’s Speedweeks. Elliott began The Clash in a comfortable 10th position and quickly began gaining speed. By Lap 4, he had inched his way past 9th and was all the way to 2nd place by Lap 10. But that didn’t last long as he captured the lead that same lap. Leading the race was very comfortable for the third year racer until Lap 14 when Austin Dillon challenged him for the lead. By Lap 16, Chase had to settle for 3rd.
Meanwhile, I think The Clash provided us with a substantial amount of good racing. This week I noticed several fans were unhappy with the racing. You kidding me?! It was incredible! From lots of dicey and gutsy moves to near misses and great saves, The Clash, in my personal opinion, did not disappoint.
By Lap 19, Elliott regained first and kept it until Joey Logano managed to challenge him for the lead. Lap 24 resulted in his settling for 2nd amidst a battle with the 22, 78, and 11 up front. Elliott finished the first leg of the race in 3rd just in time for the scheduled caution. With right sides and fuel only, Elliott was ready to return to battle. The first and only penalty dealt out was to the no. 48 for passing through too many pit stalls upon entering pit road.
The second segment of The Clash was front row war for the no. 9 of Chase Elliott. Lap 30 found him in 2nd, 3rd, and then 2nd again all in the same lap thanks to a fine battle with the no. 12 of Ryan Blaney. But Elliott kept 2nd in his grasp until Lap 33 when he was hung out to dry, filtering back slowly to 8th. Again he worked his way back…a position per lap until Lap 35 brought out a caution for Jamie McMurray’s wreck. Elliott was in 5th at the time.
The final segment of the race did not fare well for the young driver, however. Although first was his at the start, he quickly found 4th with 35 laps to go. Eight laps later, Elliott found himself in 14th place and dropping. By the time the checkered flag was coming into view, Chase Elliott had fought his way back to 9th. But it wasn’t meant to be thanks to a last lap wreck that left him a little banged up and settled in the grassy Daytona fields as the checkered flag waved. He was not alone. Other cars involved in the wreck included the 48, 42, 18, 78, 41, and 95. Brad Keselowski walked away with the win despite the fortunate help of trash on his grille during the last leg of the race. Who knew that could actually help you out, eh?
Coming away from The Clash, I think one thing that intrigued me the most besides all the new colors and numbers gracing the track was pit stops. On record, the shortest pit stop was 16 seconds long. That is almost three to four seconds longer than your average swift servicing we are used to. This is, of course, partly due to the rule change that teams had to shorten their over-the-wall crew by one man. Will this be better for the teams going forward? Will the longer pit stops insert better strategy and techniques? That we will see.
The no. 9 of Chase Elliott won Can-Am Duel #2 and was in Victory Lane Thursday night.
Here’s to a great day of Daytona 500 racing on Sunday. Good luck, Chase! We know you’ll make that no. 9 proud.
Follow and chat with me here: @kimberlygrace__
February 16, 2018
New year. New car. New number. Fresh slate. Lasting legacy.
Chase Elliott’s first official laps in the no. 9 were no less than impressive, waving a good solid hello and welcome to the 2018 season’s Speedweeks. Elliott began The Clash in a comfortable 10th position and quickly began gaining speed. By Lap 4, he had inched his way past 9th and was all the way to 2nd place by Lap 10. But that didn’t last long as he captured the lead that same lap. Leading the race was very comfortable for the third year racer until Lap 14 when Austin Dillon challenged him for the lead. By Lap 16, Chase had to settle for 3rd.
Meanwhile, I think The Clash provided us with a substantial amount of good racing. This week I noticed several fans were unhappy with the racing. You kidding me?! It was incredible! From lots of dicey and gutsy moves to near misses and great saves, The Clash, in my personal opinion, did not disappoint.
By Lap 19, Elliott regained first and kept it until Joey Logano managed to challenge him for the lead. Lap 24 resulted in his settling for 2nd amidst a battle with the 22, 78, and 11 up front. Elliott finished the first leg of the race in 3rd just in time for the scheduled caution. With right sides and fuel only, Elliott was ready to return to battle. The first and only penalty dealt out was to the no. 48 for passing through too many pit stalls upon entering pit road.
The second segment of The Clash was front row war for the no. 9 of Chase Elliott. Lap 30 found him in 2nd, 3rd, and then 2nd again all in the same lap thanks to a fine battle with the no. 12 of Ryan Blaney. But Elliott kept 2nd in his grasp until Lap 33 when he was hung out to dry, filtering back slowly to 8th. Again he worked his way back…a position per lap until Lap 35 brought out a caution for Jamie McMurray’s wreck. Elliott was in 5th at the time.
The final segment of the race did not fare well for the young driver, however. Although first was his at the start, he quickly found 4th with 35 laps to go. Eight laps later, Elliott found himself in 14th place and dropping. By the time the checkered flag was coming into view, Chase Elliott had fought his way back to 9th. But it wasn’t meant to be thanks to a last lap wreck that left him a little banged up and settled in the grassy Daytona fields as the checkered flag waved. He was not alone. Other cars involved in the wreck included the 48, 42, 18, 78, 41, and 95. Brad Keselowski walked away with the win despite the fortunate help of trash on his grille during the last leg of the race. Who knew that could actually help you out, eh?
Coming away from The Clash, I think one thing that intrigued me the most besides all the new colors and numbers gracing the track was pit stops. On record, the shortest pit stop was 16 seconds long. That is almost three to four seconds longer than your average swift servicing we are used to. This is, of course, partly due to the rule change that teams had to shorten their over-the-wall crew by one man. Will this be better for the teams going forward? Will the longer pit stops insert better strategy and techniques? That we will see.
The no. 9 of Chase Elliott won Can-Am Duel #2 and was in Victory Lane Thursday night.
Here’s to a great day of Daytona 500 racing on Sunday. Good luck, Chase! We know you’ll make that no. 9 proud.
Follow and chat with me here: @kimberlygrace__
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