Elliott and NAPA Jump to Second in Standings with Top-Five

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In: Xfinity Series News

Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet, finished fifth in Friday’s ToyotaCare 250 NASCAR XFINITY Series race at Richmond International Raceway (RIR).  It was Elliott’s fourth top-five finish of the season, leapfrogging Chris Buescher for sole possession of second place in the championship points standings.  Elliott trails championship leader Ty Dillon by just eight points with 25 races remaining in the 2015 season.  Denny Hamlin led all but two of the race’s 250 total laps to capture his 12th career XFINITY Series victory and first of the 2015 season.

After qualifying in the 7th position, and avoiding an early race scuffle on lap one, Elliott propelled his No. 9 NAPA machine forward.  His drive-off was at its best.  He was able to carry the momentum of his Chevrolet inside the top-five for the majority of the race.  An early suggestion from the 19-year-old Dawsonville, Ga. native to his crew chief Ernie Cope was he needed to get off his brakes sooner and be able to roll through the center of each turn in an easier fashion.  In turn this would help Elliott engage back into the throttle at a quicker pace.

On lap 52, while under caution and running in the seventh position, Cope brought Elliott in for his first stop.  The NAPA KNOW HOW team changed four tires, added fuel and made an air pressure adjustment to help the defending series champion in the center of each turn.  With a tremendous pit stop by the team, Elliott jumped two spots and restarted fifth on lap 56.  As Elliott continued to speed around the .75-mile race track, he was having a bit of a freeness issue after struggling to fire off. 

Lap 110, and in the fifth position, Elliott came back to pit road while under caution for a chassis adjustment, tires, fuel and help with his tire pressures.  Cope directed his squad to adjust the tire pressures so they were similar to the way the team had started the race.  The call was a brilliant one, as Elliott was able to get back after it as soon as the field took the green flag on lap 122.  Elliott applauded the call Cope made and said his NAPA Chevy really took off on the restart.

On the race’s final restart with 99 laps to go, Elliott would go from inside the top-five to outside looking in, just before his last pit stop under the green flag.  After the stop, and with four fresh tires, Elliott bounced back for a hard-fought fifth place finish, closing the gap in the championship standings.

Hamlin defeated Joey Logano, JR Motorsports driver Regan Smith, Erik Jones and Elliott to round out the top-five.

Chase Elliott, driver No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS team

“We fought tight and center for the majority of the race tonight.  Denny (Denny Hamlin) really put on a show and I don’t think anyone could catch him.  You know, I was pleased with our fight late in the race, especially with the race ending on a long green-flag run.  We just have to keep digging, because it takes that type of composure to win these types of races.  I want to thank my NAPA AUTO PARTS team for hanging in there.  We’re close and I know it.  We just have to stay focused and we’ll find victory lane before too long.  Looking forward to Talladega next weekend.  Restrictor plate racing is always a blast.”

JR Motorsports PR

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