It’s scary to think Chase Elliott can run better at Chicagoland Speedway than he did in his first visit there this season.
The 18-year-old JR Motorsports wunderkind and No. 1-ranked driver in the NASCAR Nationwide Series led a race-high 85 laps and posted his highest driver rating of the year (145.2) on his way to Victory Lane.
Somehow he thinks he can outdo that performance as he goes for the Windy City sweep in Saturday’s Jimmy John’s Freaky Fast 300 Powered By Coca-Cola (3:30 p.m. ET on ESPN 2).
“I’m excited to get back up to Chicagoland Speedway this weekend,” Elliot said. “We had a great run there back in July, but the more I look back on that night, I can see a bunch of things we can improve on.”
With the Nationwide Series title in his sights, Elliott will also try to increase his 19-point advantage in the standings over teammate Regan Smith. He has shown no signs of letting up, posting top-five finishes in his last four races, including a runner-up showing at Richmond last week.
Although a comfortable lead, Elliott understands his 19-point edge is not insurmountable – especially with eight races left on the schedule.
“One mistake can take you out of contention with a snap of the finger, so we have to minimize the risks for mistakes and execute when it matters, like on pit stops and late-race decisions,” Elliott said. “It has been an unbelievable season so far and we have worked well together, but now it’s time to get to work and finish strong.”
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