Cordele, Ga. – After a busy week participating in Hendrick Motorsports media day on Wednesday, Chase Elliott now puts his focus on what he loves the most — racing.
This weekend marks the first race of the 2012 season for the 16-year-old driver as he returns to the Champion Racing Association SpeedFest events he swept a year ago at Lanier National Speedway in Braselton, Ga. This year, the 2012 SpeedFest will be held at Watermelon Capital Speedway in Cordele, Ga., instead.
“Last year, the race was at Lanier and this year being at a different track is going to throw everybody a curve ball to a point,” Elliott said. “Even though we won SpeedFest last year, I think you have to completely take that out of the equation.”
After ending the 2011 race season on a high note by winning the Snowball Derby in December, Elliott looks to start the season the same way this weekend by battling some of the nation’s best short track racers at the .375-mile racetrack.
“I’m excited to get back to Cordele,” Elliott said. “It’s a fun track that we had some success at in the 2009 season. As a whole, I’m pumped about this weekend being the first race of the year in the Aaron’s Dream Machine, and I know we can start it off strong.”
Elliott will race in both the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour presented GM Performance Parts, followed by the Rheem 150 for Pro Late Models on Sunday, Jan. 29. The racing action will begin at 2 p.m. local time.
Looked pretty sporty in practice. Good Luck Sunday. GO GET ‘EM Chase !
3rd in 1st practice session. Go get ‘em #9! I’ll be at the races tomorrow
I’m excited about seeing Chase back on the track. Go #9
JEGS/CRA All-Stars Tour Presented by GM Performance Parts FINAL Practice Session Results
1. 9 Chase Elliott 16.036 —- 89.798mph
2. 25 Brent Downey 16.097
3. 33s Brandon Jones 16.103
4. 71 Kyle Benjamin 16.103
5. 129 Anderson Bowen 16.131
6. 10 R.S. Senter 16.132
7. 66 Korey Ruble 16.184
8. 38 Shane Sawyer 16.237
9. 54 Daniel Hemric 16.239
10. 133 Ricky Brooks 16.249
11. 98 Russell Fleeman 16.286
12. 29 Spencer Davis 16.329
13. 45 Dwayne Buggay 16.333
14. 33 Wes Griffith Jr. 16.359
15. 23 Chris Koslek 16.361
16. 6 Brandon Hermiller 16.363
17. 16 David Hodges 16.389
18. 01 Roger Adkins 16.420
19. 166 Jeff Fultz 16.420
20. 2 Brady Boswell 16.436
21. 79 Kyle Bryant 16.479
22. 41 Chris Davidson 16.482
23. 61 T.W. Fisher 16.486
24. 291 Matthew Wragg 16.637
25. 27 Joe Ross 16.642
26. 125 Cole Powell 16.647
27. 04 Jerrod Foley 16.784
28. 12 Ronnie Whitlock 16.803
29. 21 Kyle McCallum 16.848
30. 77 Mike Slone 17.019
31. 1 Mike Garvey NO TIME
32. 4 Kyle Plott NO TIME
33. 18 Bubba Pollard NO TIME
34. 23s Dalton Grindle NO TIME
35. 127 Kyle Maynard NO TIME
CRA Southern Six-Pack Tour FINAL Practice Session Results
1. 1 Mike Garvey 15.831 —- 90.961mph
2. 4 Erik Jones 15.836
3. 51 Kyle Busch 15.850
4. 5 Johnny Sauter 15.858
5. 8 John Hunter Nemechek 15.871
6. 9 Chase Elliott 15.884
7. 26 Bubba Pollard 15.920
8. 51s Stephen Nasse 15.925
9. 12 Jared Marks 15.927
10. 6 David Ragan 15.934
11. 99 Casey Smith 15.937
12. 39 Kenzie Ruston 15.957
13. 71s Kyle Benjamin 15.968
14. 01 Travis Braden 15.993
15. 0 Joe Beaver 16.007
16. 25 Ross Kenseth 16.017
17. 2 Donnie Wilson 16.019
18. 7 Erik Darnell 16.020
19. 29 Austin Theriault 16.025
20. 74 Clay Rogers 16.025
21. 67 Jeff Fultz 16.050
22. 09 Randy Gentry 16.066
23. 41 T.J. Reaid 16.110
24. 32 John Long 16.114
25. 45 Dwayne Buggay 16.172
26. 93 Marc Mitchell 16.208
27. 57 Chad Pierce 16.225
28. 83 Scotty Ellis 16.228
29. 71 Jimmy Doyle 16.231
30. 82 Terry Fisher Jr. 16.254
31. 23 Dalton Grindle 16.463
32. 29s Allen Karnes 16.654
33. 12s Ronnie Whitlock WITHDREW
34. 76 Colt James WITHDREW
POLE!
Unofficial CRA/JEGS Pro Late Model Times
1 9 Chase Elliott 15.839
2 54 Daniel Hemric 15.969
3 18 Bubba Pollard 15.983
4 25 Brent Downey 16.044
5 133 Ricky Brooks 16.050
6 4 Kyle Plott 16.055
7 66s Jeff Fultz 16.068
8 129 Anderson Bowen 16.084
9 1 Mike Garvey 16.101
10 45 Dwayne Buggay 16.109
11 98 Russell Fleeman 16.117
12 66 Korey Ruble 16.120
13 71 Kyle Benjamin 16.132
14 10 R.S. Senter 16.139
15 2 Brady Boswell 16.141
16 33 Wes Griffith Jr. 16.183
17 16 David Hodges 16.200
18 38 Shane Sawyer 16.209
19 33s Brandon Jones 16.230
20 23 Chris Koslek 16.233
21 29 Spencer Davis 16.261
22 41 Chris Davidson 16.296
23 04 Jerrod Foley 16.342
24 01 Roger Adkins 16.349
25 6 Brandon Hermiller 16.359
26 77 Mike Slone 16.367
27 23s Dalton Grindle 16.373
28 127 Kyle Maynard 16.402
29 79 Kyle Bryant 16.420
30 291 Matthew Wragg 16.516
31 27 Joe Ross 16.582
32 12 Ronnie Whitlock 16.614
33 61 T.W. Fisher 16.789
34 125 Cole Powell no time
35 21 Kyle McCallum no time
Chase will start 11th in the Speedfest 200
Full Rundown for the CRA Super Series SpeedFest 200 (Before the re-draw which was a five)
1 6 David Ragan 15.609
2 4 Erik Jones 15.685
3 51 Kyle Busch 15.698
4 8 John Hunter Nemechek 15.705
5 26 Bubba Pollard 15.706
6 1 Mike Garvey 15.728
7 71s Kyle Benjamin 15.733
8 5 Johnny Sauter 15.759
9 51s Stephen Nasse 15.760
10 12 Jared Marks 15.779
11 9 Chase Elliott 15.786
12 39 Kenzie Ruston 15.794
13 7 Erik Darnell 15.798
14 2 Donnie Wilson 15.813
15 09 Randy Gentry 15.819
16 29 Austin Theriault 15.822
17 99 Casey Smith 15.835
18 67 Jeff Fultz 15.840
19 45 Dwayne Buggay 15.877
20 25 Ross Kenseth 15.878
21 74 Clay Rogers 15.885
22 41 T.J. Reaid 15.908
23 01 Travis Braden 15.969
24 0 Joe Beaver 15.992
25 83 Scotty Ellis 16.061
26 82 Terry Fisher Jr. 16.076
27 71 Jimmy Doyle 16.100
28 23 Dalton Grindle 16.143
29 32 John Long 16.191
30 57 Chad Pierce 16.341
31 29s Allen Karnes 16.485
32 12s Ronnie Whitlock 99
33 93 Marc Mitchell 99
34 76 Colt James (Withdrew) 99
Follow Chase live from SPEEDFEST 2012 on http://www.speed51.com
Congratulations to Chase and the BER team on their WIN in the JEGS/CRA Pro Late Model race and on their 6th place finish in the ARCA/CRA Super Late Model race!
Awesome job Chase on winning the Pro 150 race at Speedfest and coming in 6th place in the Super 200. Go #9!