Elliott and NAPA AUTO PARTS Team on the Upswing

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet for JR Motorsports in the XFINITY Series, will ride a wave of momentum out west this weekend. Following last week’s fifth-place finish, the 19-year-old now looks toward Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Elliott laid the foundation for a championship run a year ago.

As a rookie last season, Elliott gained a wealth of veteran experience by scrapping through adversity at the 1.5-mile tri-oval, not once, but twice within a 17-lap span. It was the first major test of his young XFINITY Series career. After running out of gas early in the going, Elliott eventually caught a free pass which put him back on the lead lap. Then under green-flag conditions he was forced to pit road with a vibration. The mishaps compounded, however, the team rebounded and persevered, with Elliott notching his first top-five finish in the XFINITY Series. He was also the highest finishing series regular that day.

Now the NAPA AUTO PARTS team will embark on the series’ west coast swing, encompassing the next three weeks of competition. For Elliott and crew chief Ernie Cope, the duo will focus on further cultivating their chemistry, a critical component to the team’s eventual success over the 33-race season.

Tune in this Saturday as Elliott looks to fend off his fellow XFINITY Series competitors and gain ground in the championship standings during the Boyd Gaming 300, which airs at 3:30 p.m. ET on FOX Sports 1 and PRN/Sirius XM.

JR Motorsports PR