The last time Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet, saw Phoenix International Raceway (PIR), he was on the brink of a championship and focused on a single point. Just one point, actually. One point more than the runner-up in the standings was all he needed to clinch the 2014 championship.
Elliott’s fifth-place run last November at PIR earned him the necessary points and solidified his championship quest one week before the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It marked the first time a driver clinched the championship before the season finale since Brad Keselowski did it in 2010. Last season’s spring event at PIR also proved pivotal to Elliott’s championship drive. He drove to a ninth-place finish in the event, triggering an early season tear that produced seven consecutive top-10 finishes, including back-to-back wins at Texas and Darlington.
Now, just three races into the 2015 season, Elliott knows his consecutive top-five runs at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway are not up to par with the team’s potential. Wins will be the key ingredient to defending his series championship. And that is Elliott’s point of focus this weekend.
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