Defending NASCAR XFINITY Series (NXS) Champion Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet, sent a shock wave through the entire sport last season at Darlington Raceway, going from sixth to first in a two-lap sprint to the checkered flag to claim a dramatic victory at the track “Too Tough to Tame.” The 18-year-old rookie, still four weeks away from graduating high school, led 52 laps en route to claiming his second straight NXS victory, and in the process, became the youngest driver to ever win an NXS race at the legendary track. He was also the first series regular to win at the “Lady in Black” since Brian Vickers on Aug. 30, 2003.
With just 10 races remaining in the 2015 NXS season, Elliott has marched to within 16 points of series leader Chris Buescher by reeling off 12 top-10 finishes in his last 15 starts. And with the 1.366-mile Darlington oval up next, there’s no better time for Elliott and the NAPA team to make a move. It’s a big weekend for the 19-year-old, too. Elliott’s final double-duty weekend of the 2015 season will see him have the chance at $100,000 in the XFINITY Dash4Cash program on Saturday, and if he finishes higher than Ty Dillon, Brian Scott and Daniel Suarez, he’ll claim the bonus. On Sunday, he’ll make his final NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start of the season in the No. 25 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS for Hendrick Motorsports under the lights during the Bojangles Southern 500. In four previous Sprint Cup starts in the No. 25 NAPA Chevrolet SS, Elliott has displayed a tenacious ability to move forward. After a disappointing 38th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway in his NSCS debut, Elliott has reeled off a 16th-place finish at Richmond International Raceway and 18th-place finishes at both Charlotte Motor Speedway and Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Since his debut at Martinsville, Elliott has made up a total of 20 positions from where he began each race.
It will be easy to see Elliott’s No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevy on Saturday, as the car will carry the XFINITY in-car camera on Saturday. The Darlington 200 airs on NBC at 3:30 p.m. ET. MRN Radio/Sirius XM NASCAR Ch. 90 will carry the race starting at 3 p.m. ET. Then on Sunday, watch Elliott make his Southern 500 debut in the eye-popping No. 25 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS, which will feature a retroactive paint scheme that pays tribute to the 30th anniversary of his father Bill’s “Winston Million” triumph from 1985. The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event airs at 7 p.m. ET on NBC. MRN/Sirius XM radio’s coverage will start at 6 p.m. ET.
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