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  • Bill Elliott Plans to Put the Awesome in His Upcoming Race Season

    Bill Elliott Plans to Put the Awesome in His Upcoming Race Season

    [media-credit name=”” align=”alignright” width=”266″]Photo Credit: Greg Engle, NASCAR Examiner[/media-credit]At this stage in his career, Bill Elliott could definitely sit back, rest on his laurels, and enjoy watching his young son Chase progress in his racing career. Yet for the veteran driver known as ‘Awesome Bill from Dawsonville,’ the upcoming racing season promises to live up to his moniker.

    This past week, Elliott made an historic announcement, partnering with Walmart for the July Daytona race, the Coke Zero 400, in celebration of the superstore’s 50th anniversary. The joint venture, “Legends in Racing” is the first time ever that Walmart as sponsored a Cup car.

    “It came about real quick,” Elliott said of his historic deal with the superstore giant. “I don’t really understand the total dynamics but it came about super-fast.”

    “I’m very excited about it,” Elliott continued. “There’s a lot of opportunities there for the race fans, Walmart and NASCAR all together.”

    “The opportunity for me at this stage of my career, having something like this come along, is very gratifying to me.”

    Elliott, the 1988 Cup Champion who competed last year in five Cup races, will be piloting the Walmart No. 50 Car. And according to a Walmart spokesperson, the superstore could not be more pleased with their choice as well.

    “The No. 50 car is a big deal for us,” Rand Waddoups, Senior Director Entertainment Marketing for Walmart, said. “It’s one of the major things we’re excited about as we turn 50 and we couldn’t have picked a better driver to represent us.”

    In addition to being the primary sponsor on Elliott’s car, Walmart also is sponsoring a special ticket package for the fans. This package will be available at 17 races throughout the NASCAR Cup season.

    “They have a great program for the fans,” Elliott said. “Last year they started working with NASCAR and this will just expand what they are doing in the future.”

    “They have a ticket package where you can get four tickets, four hot dogs and four drinks for $99 at various different tracks,” Elliott continued. “It’s a huge deal.”

    “It’s as big as when NASCAR went to Indy and expanded,” Elliott said. “It’s big for everybody involved.”

    Although he has been out of the seat of a race car for a bit of time, Elliott does not see that as a disadvantage going to Daytona over the summer.

    “I’ve run well at Daytona and that’s a race track where you can be out of the seat of a race car and still perform,” Elliott said. “With Turner Motorsports and Hendrick engines, I’m very confident from the competition side that everything will be there.”

    “Their key point for Walmart and for me is doing all we can promotion-wise, not necessarily worrying about the race but building up to it instead.”

    While other drivers may feel some pressure carrying the Walmart banner for their first official ‘on-the-car’ sponsorship, Elliott is not nervous about it at all, instead feeling tremendously honored and excited.

    “It’s a big step for Walmart because they’ve never been a primary on a Cup car before,” Elliott said. “It’s very important to me to make it work.”

    “It’s a great opportunity and I’m so pleased that I’m able to do this kind of deal.”

    “I feel like I can offer more from the standpoint of the promotional side than a driver that drives full-time,” Elliott continued. “I’ve been around the sport a long time so we’ll work with Walmart the best we can to achieve their goal and trying to put race fans in the stands at those key markets.”

    “I’ll do the best job that I can for them so it will work out for their marketing strategy.”

    While the Walmart deal was uppermost in ‘Awesome’ Bill’s mind due to the announcement this week, the veteran driver has other plans for the upcoming race season.  First and foremost, 2012 includes his continued mentoring of drivers hoping to develop and hone their NASCAR talents.

    “Right now, I’m trying to put a couple more late-model programs together for some different people,” Elliott said. “As soon as I get that signed, sealed and delivered, then I can expand on that.”

    “I’m trying to expand my short-track program to help a few guys along,” Elliott continued. “We’re doing a little deal with a kid named T.J. Reaid this weekend at Cordele and we’ll continue to work with another couple guys.”

    “I’m also trying to work out a program with Dan Kennedy to help him do some late model stuff this year,” Elliott said. “So, I’ve got a lot of things going this year.”

    Finally, of course, Elliott plans to be the proud and watchful papa, overseeing his sixteen year old son Chase’s progression in the sport. Chase Elliott will not only be racing this weekend at Cordele in the 2012 SpeedFest but will also continue his driver development program with Hendrick Motorsports in the K&N East Series.

    “My other goal is to stay close to Chase and where he is on the K&N and ARCA side as the season continues,” Elliott said. “Other than that, I would like to run a few more Cup races, but if it don’t happen, so be it.”

    “My key goal is being available to Walmart this year to do what they need me to do,” Elliott continued. “I can’t say enough about how honored I am to do their program.”

    “It’s a great opportunity and the fans can really benefit,” Elliott said. “Hopefully, we’ll make it a win-win situation.”

  • Chase Elliott’s Sweet Sixteen Birthday Wish Comes True with Snowball Derby Win

    Chase Elliott’s Sweet Sixteen Birthday Wish Comes True with Snowball Derby Win

    As Chase Elliott blew out the candles on his birthday cake during his surprise party for his 16th birthday, he had just one wish in mind. He wished he could win the 44th running of the prestigious Snowball Derby.

    [media-credit name=”Photo Credit: Speed51.com” align=”alignright” width=”226″][/media-credit]“I know you’re not supposed to tell anybody what you wished for but that’s what was my wish, to win the Snowball Derby,” Elliott said. “It was an amazing birthday week to go down to Pensacola and have an unbelievable weekend.”

    “To have two top fives this weekend was unreal,” Elliott continued. “And winning the Snowball Derby, that’s a heck of a birthday present. It was an unbelievable week and all of our team enjoyed it.”

    Elliott made his birthday wish at a special surprise party that his family had organized prior to the race weekend event.

    “It was a pretty big deal,” Elliott said. “We got back from the Georgia game on Saturday night and there everybody was. I had no idea. It was pretty cool.”

    Elliott’s win, however, was not as easy as blowing out the candles on his birthday cake. He and his No. 9 Aaron’s Dream Machine had to overcome adversity in the preliminary race, the Snowflake 100, as well as during the Snowball Derby itself.

    On Saturday, Elliott started 27th in the Snowflake and had worked his way through the field to 16th before being collected in a crash, where his team had to replace a radiator. In spite of that challenge, the young driver was able to rally back and score a top-five finish.

    In the Snowball Derby on Sunday, Elliott again faced adversity, when on Lap 141, the leaders of the race started spinning and another driver Augie Grill, hit Elliott from behind, again damaging the car. Elliott’s team rallied once more, repairing the damage and sending him back out on track.

    “It broke the back bumper brace bar and we had to bear bond it back together because there was no time to weld it,” Ricky Turner, Elliott’s crew chief, said. “We came back into the pits three times during the caution to maintain our lead lap position.”

    The young driver’s final brush with adversity came in the waning laps when a wreck brought out a red flag, leaving just five laps to go. When the green flag finally flew, Elliott raced door to door with D.J. VanderLey, pulling ahead on the last lap to win by just 0.229 seconds.

    “There was a long red flag right before those last five laps,” Elliott said. “And we were very fortunate that those last five laps went green because in the past that hadn’t happened very often.”

    “You’re sitting there in that red flag and you’re thinking of the mistakes I’ve made this year,” Elliott continued. “I’ve lost races on restarts like that this year and I definitely didn’t want that to happen again.”

    “You think about that stuff but at the same time you’re thinking this is your race and it’s time to move on and do things right,” Elliott continued. “You have to think about the positives and know that you’re the leader.”

    “Everybody played a part in this weekend, both on Saturday night to have a problem with getting in a wreck, having to replace a radiator on pit road and not losing a lap and then to come back and finish fifth and then to do the same thing Sunday and win the race,” Elliott said. “It was unreal.”

    “It’s the quality of guys that we have on our race team, in the shop, and also the guys that came in from Hendrick Motorsports to help us do our pit stops that led to this success.”

    The young Elliott also credits one more significant person in his life for the race win, the person that goes by the moniker ‘Awesome Bill from Dawsonville.’ And although Chase’s dad has not won the Snowball Derby himself from behind the wheel, Chase credits his father just as much for being such an integral part of the race team.

    “Our victory there was definitely a victory for me but it was also a victory for him,” Chase said of his father Bill. “He is as big a part of this race team as me or anybody that plays a part in our weekend.”

    “It was a win for all of us and not just me,” Elliott continued. “There’s a lot of guys who don’t get to run and I’m just thankful to him and to Aaron’s to even be able to go down there and run.”

    Chase Elliott also has been following in his father’s footsteps in another important way. Much like his dad, the young up and coming driver was just voted as the ‘Most Popular Driver’ in the K&N Pro Series East, in which he has been competing this year.

    “It’s really cool,” Elliott said of the honor. “Honestly, I know that a lot of my dad’s fans helped out in the voting for sure and I really appreciate their support.”

    “I really hope and my goal is to make my dad’s fans mine as well,” Elliott continued. “I want to earn that on my own. And I hope to earn a lot more in the future.”

    As far as his future, Elliott is now taking a well-earned break having run and won his last race of the 2011 season.

    “We are done for 2011,” Elliott said. “My next race is planned to be Speedfest at Lanier at the end of January.”

    “I have about a month and a half off to get gathered up and go racing again,” Elliott continued. “I’m going to get through the next couple of weeks of school and then enjoy Christmas and New Year’s with my family and just have a good time.”

    Yet the young driver cannot help but continue to marvel at his historic Snowball Derby win, especially as the youngest winner in the history of the event.

    “It’s the Snowball Derby,” Elliott said. “It sounds so simple but it’s so true.”

    “There’s so much history behind this race,” Elliott continued. “Any short track racer’s dream is to win the Snowball Derby, no matter who you are, where you come from or who you’re trying to be.”

    “I wished to win the Snowball Derby,” Elliott said. “This is my wish come true.”

  • Chase Elliott Competes With The Big Boys For A Good Cause

    Chase Elliott Competes With The Big Boys For A Good Cause

    Chase Elliott, son of Cup champion Bill Elliott, was prepared to race at Richmond International Raceway in the K&N Pro Series East Race for the first time in his young career.

    But the youngster got the chance to do something even more special, compete with the ‘big boys’ of the racing world at Denny Hamlin’s Charity Race, the Denny Hamlin Shootout.

    Elliott was tapped to drive Brandon Butler’s Late Model, filling in for Kasey Kahne who is still recovering from additional knee surgery.  The up and coming driver not only got to compete against some of his idols, like Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Michael Waltrip and newcomer Travis Pastrana, but also got to challenge his own dear old dad.

    Because of his inexperience, having never even competed in a Whelen All-American late model race car before, Chase Elliott started in the back of the field just behind father Bill.  This starting position turned out to be one of the luckiest as much of the field was involved in a major crash in the first lap of the race.

    While Chase went low to escape the wreck, right behind his father, Bill Elliott did get clipped from behind, doing major damage to his race car.

    “I thought I was a goner when they were barreling down from the wall,” Chase said to his dad. “But they hit you instead.”

    “Well I’m glad I could be of assistance to you there, son,” father Bill Elliott quipped quickly.

    After the major wreck, Matt McCall and Max Gresham brought the field to the restart green flag.  They were quickly challenged by Cup contender Kyle Busch, who not only led but dominated the competition, as he so often does.

    At the half-way mark of the race, however, Chase Elliott had worked his way forward to claim the 12th position.  He even managed to get past one of his biggest racing idols Tony Stewart.

    “He let me go,” Elliott said of his pass around Smoke.

    Elliott continued to move forward, cracking the top ten and finally claiming a third place finish behind Denny Hamlin, race host, and Michael Waltrip.

    Ever the racer, however, Elliott was hoping for an even better finish.

    “On that last restart if we hadn’t have gone three-wide off in Turn One, I think we could have been battling for the win,” Elliott said. “I had a blast. To be able to run with great drivers and I am looking forward to hopefully being able to do it again sometime.”

    Elliott also played a role in raising money for several charities, including the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Hospital and Children’s Hospital in Richmond. Race founder and winner Denny Hamlin said that 10 percent of this year’s race proceeds will be given to assist the victims of the recent tornados.

    While Elliott celebrated his unexpectedly good finish in the Hamlin charity race, he was still smarting a bit from his K&N Pro Series East race prior to the charity event. After a sixth place qualifying effort in the East Series Blue Ox 150, Elliott struggled throughout the bulk of the race.

    In addition to the fact that he had never been to the .75 mile, D-shaped oval track at Richmond, he also had to battle a rain delay, as well as a tight No. 9 HendrickCars.com race car. On Lap 75 when the caution flag flew, Elliott had dropped to 14th on the track and came out 25th after a pit stop for a track bar adjustment.

    Elliott was never able to advance much further and he finished the race 24th.

    “We just need more time to figure these cars out,” Elliott said. “We will get it.”

    “I thought the car was good in practice,” Elliott continued. “But we had no drive-up off the corner when it came time for the race.”

    Elliott will next compete in the K&N Pro Series East race at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina on June 4th. This will also be the fifteen year old Elliott’s debut at that historic track.

  • Chase Elliott, Johanna Long and Dakoda Armstrong Prove Racing is a Family Affair

    Chase Elliott, Johanna Long and Dakoda Armstrong Prove Racing is a Family Affair

    [media-credit name=”Barry Albert” align=”alignright” width=”250″][/media-credit]Up and coming NASCAR racers like Chase Elliott, Johanna Long and Dakoda Armstrong may have loads of talent but they also have one other thing in common, the love and support of their family. And each one of them has proven that racing is truly a family affair.

    Thanks to the coaching of his NASCAR champion father Awesome Bill Elliott and the unfailing support of mom Cindy, Chase Elliott is already proving that racing for him is filled with family. The young racer also recently signed with one of NASCAR’s most famous team families, Hendrick Motorsports.

    Elliott raced this past weekend at Greenville Pickens Speedway in one of NASCAR’s developmental series under the banner of HMS. With that start, Chase officially became the youngest driver ever to start a K&N Pro Series East race at the tender age of 15 years.

    Elliott followed in his most popular father’s footsteps from the moment he pulled into the historic race track in South Carolina. Fans lined up well into Turn Four to get the youngster’s autograph and the line remained until the session finally had to be ended so the race could start.

    Elliott, in his No. 9 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet, qualified for the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 in the 26th position. His qualifying lap, at a speed of 85.531 miles per hour, was a definite improvement over his practice time but he still started the race deep within the field.

    Elliott had to not only pick his way through the field gradually but also had to overcome a spin on lap 97 to soldier forward. With 23 laps to go, the young driver, with his father in his ear as spotter, manhandled his way to eighth, eventually finishing the race in the fourth spot.

    Ever the competitor, just like his father, Chase Elliott had this to say after his debut.

    “The weekend wasn’t quite what we wanted it to be,” Elliott said. “But it ended up being a pretty good night for the HendrickCars.com Chevrolet.”

    “Having the support of your family and friends for any first time event in your life is always special,” Elliott continued. “I have been fortunate to have the support of a lot of family and friends that have been with me each step of the way.”   

    Just as family has been critical to Chase Elliott’s rise in the sport, so has the family of Johanna Long been instrumental in her move up as a rookie in the Camping World Truck Series this year. She too is following in the steps of her racing father, Donald, who raced in the NASCAR All-Pro Division back in the day.

    Long, at age 18, admits that she is struggling a bit to get that handle on her No. 20 Panhandle Grading and Paving Toyota Tundra truck. In the first three Truck races, she has finished 32nd, 20th and 31st respectively.

    “It’s going,” Long said of her Truck run to date. “We’ve had a lot of bad luck but every time we go to the race track we’ve been learning a lot.”

    “I’m learning and learning and learning.”

    Long was very excited to race this past weekend at Martinsville in the Kroger 250 this past weekend. She was able to harness her excitement to get her best finish to date, bringing her truck to the finish line in one piece and in the 18th position.

    But she still goes back to crediting her family for putting her in the position to pursue her racing dreams.

    “My mom and my dad and my grandparents and my uncle, they all own my team,” Long said. “They are a big part of my career.”

    “They have given me a great opportunity and I can’t thank them enough,” Long continued. “My mom and dad come to every single race and they would not miss it for the world. It’s really neat for them to come and experience this with me.”

    At age 19, Dakoda Armstrong may be the eldest of this group of up and coming racers, but he too got to where he is today thanks to the nurturing of his family, in his case from down on the farm. Thanks to his family’s support, Armstrong recently signed with ThorSport Racing to run a third team to current powerhouse Truck racers Johnny Sauter and Matt Crafton.

    Armstrong will run the No. 98 Chevy Silverado for a select number of races this year. Armstrong will also continue his ARCA racing, where last year he won the Rookie of the Year honors.

    Armstrong credits his family with jump starting his racing career. He grew up on a farm in the Midwest, born in New Castle, Indiana.

    “When I was younger, we had cattle and we actually had to sell them so we could go racing,” Armstrong said.

    The investment paid off and this racer’s family farming avocation has even led him to several sponsorship deals, specifically with ethanol coming into the sport and the greening of NASCAR.

    “It’s kind of funny how it worked out,” Armstrong said. “My dad’s farming career and my racing career are starting to mesh right now.”

    “It’s been really neat and it’s a great experience for my family,” Armstrong said of his racing. “They really love it.”

    Regardless of their ages or current racing series, there is no doubt that all three of these up and coming NASCAR future stars have succeeded in moving forward in their young careers thanks to the love, support and nurturing of their families.

    And there is also no doubt that the parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles of Chase Elliott, Johanna Long and Dakoda Armstrong could not be more proud.

  • Cindy Elliott Balances Life As Wife to Bill and Mom to Chase

    Cindy Elliott Balances Life As Wife to Bill and Mom to Chase

    Cindy Elliott is doing what she does best, balancing talking about her life with NASCAR champion husband Bill and up and coming driver son Chase, while getting some exercise by taking a quick walk around the motor home lot.

    “I don’t know that my life is any different than anyone else who has to balance life in general with work and being a mom,” Elliott said. “It’s just a balancing act and something we all do.”

    Elliott does have two primary keys that have helped her be successful in her juggling act as wife, mom, and the Elliott family’s social media director.

    “My tip for balancing is to stay as organized as you possibly can,” Elliott said. “I think organization and time management are key factors.”

    The Elliotts have been married for 18 years and are going into their 19th year of wedded bliss. They met when Cindy Elliott, then a photo editor, had do do a shoot with NASCAR’s past most popular driver ‘Awesome Bill from Dawsonville’.

    “I was a photographer and photo editor for Scene and Illustrated back in the day,” Elliott said. “I had clients, Coca Cola and Budweiser, and Bill went to drive for Budweiser and he had to come to my studio to take pictures and so we met.”

    Chase Elliott is their only child together, however Bill Elliott has two grown daughters. One daughter Brittany, 19 years old is serving the country in the Air Force in New Mexico, and the other daughter Starr lives in Dawsonville and has a young daughter, Kennedy.

    “The grand parenting role is a lot of fun,” Elliott said. “I’m C C. It’s the first thing she called me so I guess that’s what all my grandkids will call me. You know how that happens, the first one gets to name you.”

    Elliott admits that racing was not her passion growing up and she most certainly did not know anything about it until she got more involved through her photo work.

    “I never liked racing,” Elliott said candidly. “Actually Don Grassman, who owns CIA photography, he and I worked together at the Northwest Florida Daily News. He asked me would I come help him.”

    “I knew nothing about racing,” Elliott continued. “In fact, they put me on pit road.  Something happened to Dale Earnhardt that day, his car broke or something, and they’re all screaming ‘Go to Earnhardt’s pit’ and I said, ‘You know guys, I don’t know who Earnhardt is’. What number is he and I’ll get to his pit as soon as I can.”

    “I really did like it after I got into it,” Elliott said.”I thought it was a lot of fun. When I was growing up, I thought we’re just watching a bunch of people go around in circles. But there’s a lot more than just going around in circles.”

    Elliott has definitely had to become fond of the sport with not only her husband but now their son Chase in the racing spotlight. Chase was signed this weekend by Hendrick Motor Sports, a great coup for the young up and coming driver.

    “I really enjoy what Chase is doing,” Elliott said.”Being around the people there, it’s just so down to earth and so fun and so family-oriented.”

    “I absolutely love watching these little kids racing around, watching them grow and develop,” Elliott continued. “Some of them are just really good little racers. Some of the races that we see are really good races too. I enjoy that a lot.”

    Like every mom, however, Cindy Elliott does indeed worry about her young son, knowing the dangers and vagaries of being behind the wheel of a race car.

    “I get worried because you just do,” Elliot said. “It’s just one of those motherly instincts.”

    “I’ve learned to trust in his ability more. He’s not crazy on the race track,” Elliott continued. “He’s very calculated in his moves. I’ve learned to trust his driving style, which really is a lot like Bill’s.”

    According to Cindy Elliott, Chase takes after his father in more ways than just on the track, which is fine with her.

    “His personality takes a lot after Bill’s personality, which I thank God for every day,” Elliott said.  “I’m a little more high strung than both of them. Chase is a good winner but he is also a gracious loser. He takes a lot of that after Bill.”

    One of the most interesting challenges is balancing where husband Bill is in his career and where her son is now in his.

    “Bill has accomplished much but he still has things to accomplish,” Elliott said. “He’s taken a lot of time with Chase and enjoys being there at the race tracks as much as I do.”

    “Bill will focus on what he has to do for whatever period that is. He will give his best effort and 100% to everything he can do for his career and to help Chase.”

    Cindy Elliott’s next balancing act will be managing the attention on her son Chase, with the signing to HMS, and on her husband Bill, who is racing this year for Phoenix Racing, in NASCAR’S premiere series.

    What is keeping her grounded now more than ever is how fortunate she is feeling to be in this special position.

    “We are very blessed,” Elliott said simply.

  • Chase Elliott Steps Forward While Bill Elliott Claims Last Good Chance

    Chase Elliott Steps Forward While Bill Elliott Claims Last Good Chance

    The father and son combination of Bill and Chase Elliott are at a crossroads in both of their careers.  For young Chase Elliott, fresh off his recent win at Speedfest 2011, the sky is the limit as he steps forward in his career.

    [media-credit name=”Brad Keppel” align=”alignright” width=”225″][/media-credit]Yet his father Bill, who will drive for James Finch’s Phoenix Racing in 2011, is most likely taking advantage of the last great ride of his career.

    “This may well be my last really good chance as a driver,” Bill Elliott, age 55, said.  “I’m going to give it my best shot.  I feel like I’m still in good shape, and I thought we ran pretty good last year.”

    Elliott will run the No. 09 car for Phoenix Racing in at least 18 NASCAR Sprint Cup races in the 2011 season. The No. 09 has special meaning to Elliott and his family, the car number having been driven by his late father George Elliott, as well as being his own car number, the 9, in 1975.

    Along with the other NASCAR greats, Elliott will start his season by competing in the 53rd running of the Daytona 500.  The veteran ‘Awesome Bill from Dawsonville’ is no stranger to the Daytona International Speedway.

    Elliott first raced at DIS on July 4th, 1976 in the Firecracker 400.  He finished that race in the 19th position in his No. 10 Ford.

    Elliott will, however, be changing manufacturers for his 2011 Daytona 500 bid.  For the first time in many years in his career, Elliott will be racing in a Chevrolet.

    “It’s big for us and big for Chevrolet to get Bill Elliott,” James Finch, Elliott’s new team owner, said.  “It’s the first time in his career that he’s committed to race a Chevrolet.”

    Finch also expressed confidence that Elliott, who has previously driven primarily Fords and Dodges, would be able to get the job done in a Chevrolet.  He cited Elliott’s  44 Cup wins, 55 poles, as well as his 1988 championship, as reasons for his confidence.

    “With the right equipment, he’s ready,” Finch said of Elliott.  “He was just a couple of hundredths of a second off the pole at Homestead last year.”

    Elliott will be teaming with crew chief Nick Harrison in his new Phoenix Racing ride.  The team plans to get their horsepower from Hendrick Motorsports.

    “I think this will be a really good deal,” Elliott said.  “James has really good race cars, and there’s no doubt about the Hendrick equipment.  After all, look at all the championships they’ve won.”

    While father Bill Elliott looks at starting the 2011 season staking claim to what will probably be the last chance for glory in his career, his son Chase has already gotten his young career off to an amazing start in the New Year.

    Chase Elliott swept the two Late Model features in Speedfest 2011 at Lanier National Speedway in Braselton, Georgia.  Elliott beat many of the nation’s best short track racers, in addition to Cup racer David Ragan.

    Elliott, driving the No. 9 Aaron’s Dream Machine, started third in the first race for the Pro Late Models.  He quickly moved forward and took the lead, which he held until the 100 lap break.

    After the break, the young driver fell back to the third position.  But he was quickly on the move again, battling David Ragan for the lead and the eventual win.

    Elliott then moved on to the Super Late Model race, the main attraction of Speedfest 2011.  In this race, he started eighth, but again moved forward quickly.

    After two green-white-checkered finish attempts, Elliott finally prevailed.  Favoring the outside line, Elliott finally took the checkered flag to win his second race of the day.

    “My team is absolutely the best,” Elliott said.  “I wouldn’t trade Ricky (Turner), my crew chief for anyone out there.  We had some great drivers that I raced with today, and they definitely made me work hard to get here.”

    While Bill Elliott will start his 2011 season by competing in one of the sport’s biggest races, the Daytona 500, his son Chase will next race on March 6th at the South Alabama Speedway.  Young Chase will compete in “The Rattler”, the second event in the 2011 CRA Southern Six Pak Tour.