Elliott, who turned 17 in November, will also take part in an ARCA Racing Series open test Wednesday, June 5 in preparation for the race.

"I'm really excited for the opportunity to race at Pocono," Elliott said.

"It's all about getting a feel for intermediate tracks. My dad has given me some great advice about running the big tracks - he has a lot of experience on the speedways - but Pocono has been repaved, so it's a much different track than it was when he raced on it. It'll be a new experience for both of us. But I can't wait."

Elliott's dad Bill Elliott was the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion in 1988 and won 44 times on NASCAR's top circuit, including two victories in the Daytona 500.

In addition to racing in the Pocono ARCA 200, the younger Elliott has also announced plans to race at Road America (June 22), and return to New Jersey Motorsports Park (July 28) where he finished second in his road course debut in 2012. The ARCA Racing Series event at Kentucky Speedway in September is also on his 2013 schedule.

Elliott is also getting his feet wet in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2013, having already posted respectable finishes of fifth at Rockingham Speedway and sixth at Martinsville Speedway.

In six career ARCA Racing Series starts in 2012, Elliott finished a career-best second at New Jersey. He also finished third and fourth in two separate starts at Salem Speedway, one of the most challenging short tracks on the ARCA circuit. With additional finishes of seventh at Berlin Raceway, eighth at Madison Int'l Speedway, and 10th at Mobile Int'l Speedway, Elliott has never finished outside the top-10 in ARCA competition.

"It's an extremely tough series (ARCA) as well as impressive. There's a lot of young talent mixed with a lot of veterans in there, too. That's what makes it unique," Elliott said.

"ARCA is also home to a lot of guys who have been doing it for a long time. They've been around for years. These guys really know what they're doing, and what it takes to win at this level. I can assure you, winning an ARCA race is no easy thing; it doesn't matter where it is. Whether it's on a superspeedway, a short track - I know they race on the dirt too - or a road course, you're going to race hard for the win, and that's exactly what we expect to do at Pocono."

The ARCA Racing Series open test at Pocono is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. through 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 5.

On-track activity for the Pocono ARCA 200 includes one practice session on Friday, June 7 from 10:00-11:50 a.m., with Menards Pole Qualifying presented by Ansell following at 2:05. The Pocono ARCA 200 is scheduled to get underway Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.

In addition to live coverage on SPEED, ARCARacing.com will feature live timing and scoring of all the ARCA on-track activities.

The Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is among the leading auto racing sanctioning bodies in the country. Founded in 1953 by John and Mildred Marcum, the organization administers more than 100 events each year in multiple racing series, including the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards, the ARCA/CRA Super Series, the ARCA Truck Series and the ARCA Midwest Tour, plus weekly racing at Toledo and Flat Rock Speedways.

Overtaking veteran Eddie Hoffman on lap 101, Elliott cruised from there in taking the inaugural Mercy Masters of the Pros 144 on the JEGS/CRA All-Stars Series in front of an estimated 2,500 fans.

Afterward, race runner-up Chuck Barnes Jr. proclaimed the winner — son of legendary NASCAR champ Bill Elliott — as NASCAR’s next big thing.

“He’s a hell of a driver, the best driver out here by far,” Barnes said. “It’s great to see somebody race at this level, someone who’s going to go on and do big things.”

Elliott, of Dawsonville, Ga., won $8,000 and a green jacket — ala the Masters golf tourney which is held in his home state — and wore a smile reminiscent of his father.

“Pretty cool,” Elliott said in victory lane, upon donning the jacket. “I’ve never had a trophy like this.”

Elliott had to hold off Barnes, of Louisville, Ky., on two late restarts. He did so with little apparent trouble, though Barnes did slide into him in turn one on the next-to-last restart of the 144-lap race.

Daniel Hemric of Kannapolis, N.C., charged from his 25th starting position to finish third with Hoffman, who led the first 101 laps, winding up fourth.

Hoffman second-guessed his decision not to take on new tires during a competition caution after lap 99 — though Elliott also shunned tires as other contenders took on two.

“We just got passed,” Hoffman said of Elliott’s move two laps after the race resumed.

Elliott, driving the Aaron's Dream Machince/Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet, said “it was time to go there” though he didn’t know how much grip his tires would have.

“I tried to save our stuff,” Elliott said of the first 99 laps, in which he worked his way from a sixth starting spot to second by lap 50. “I think everybody was on the same plan, riding and saving their stuff until the end.”

The first portion of the race did little to promote quality short-track pavement racing as half of the 28 cars suffered damage in three separate incidents — two resulting in lengthy red-flag delays to clean up the carnage.

The first incident eliminated 19-year-old Ross Kenseth, who had to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a skidding car in turn one. Kenseth wound up bopping the wall, his night over after just three laps.

Fortunately for Elliott and the other frontrunners, most of the mayhem took place behind them.

Elliott now turns his attention back to the NASCAR Truck Series, where he’s recorded finishes of fifth (at Martinsville) and sixth (at Rockingham) in his first two career starts.

“I don’t know,” Elliott said of his longer-term plans for NASCAR. “I wanted to get through tonight first. We had a good night tonight. Our next (Truck) race is at Dover in two weeks and hopefully we’ll have a good run there.”

The driver of the No. 94 Aaron’s Dream Machine/Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet had a strong start to the weekend and scored the fastest lap (25.208 seconds at roughly 142.812 mph) during the final practice on Saturday. Working with crew chief Lance McGrew, Elliott continued to find speed and secured the fourth-place starting position during Sunday’s qualifying session by turning a lap at 146.068 mph.

Just prior to the drop of the green flag on Sunday, McGrew reminded Elliott that tire management was the name of the game at the 1.017-mile Rock. Another seasoned voice joined McGrew’s on the radio as Earl Barban, spotter for Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Chevrolet SS, told Elliott to let the competitors “burn their stuff up. No need to run (the tires) hard this early.”

Elliott improved upon his fourth-place starting position to run in the top three by Lap 53, but noted a loose-handling condition, especially in Turn 4. When the caution flag was waved 11 laps later, McGrew was hesitant to make major changes because the No. 94 Chevy was turning lap times comparable to the leader. He used an air pressure adjustment and fresh tires to help dial in the handling.

The caution was waved again on Lap 95 when Elliott made contact with a lapped competitor while running fifth. The team addressed the damage, which was mostly superficial, during the ensuing pit stop and helped Elliott stay on the lead lap in 17th.

As the race returned to green on Lap 102, Elliott radioed his crew to say, “we’ll be on our game from here on out.” The 17-year-old driver lived up to his words, gaining eight positions in 37 circuits to run ninth on Lap 139. The aggressive run took a toll on tire wear, but a fortuitous yellow flag was waved five laps later. Elliott stopped for fresh tires and a track bar adjustment to address a snug-handling condition.

After his final pit stop on Lap 146, Elliott continued to gain track position and run down the competition to earn a fifth-place result on a green-white-checkered flag finish.

“I’m proud of everybody today,” Elliott said afterward. “I got us in a hole we shouldn’t have been in, but we recovered. I’m really proud of our pit stops. The No. 94 crew was on point and really helped gain a lot of track position back on pit road. I can’t thank Aaron’s and Hendrickcars.com enough for giving me this opportunity.”

Next up, Elliott will drive his No. 94 Aaron’s Dream Machine/Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet when the Truck series travels to Dover (Del.) International Speedway on May 31.

VENUE: ROCKINGHAM SPEEDWAY (ONE-MILE OVAL)

EVENT: NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES

MEDIA AVAILABILITY: Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 94 Aaron’s Dream Machine/Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet, will be available to members of the media on Saturday at 1:45 p.m. local time in the media center at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway.

News & Notes

MARTINSVILLE DEBUT: Chase Elliott made his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series debut in the April 6 event at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The driver of the No. 94 Aaron’s Dream Machine/Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet qualified eighth and ran just outside the top 10 with an average running position of 11.176 throughout the 250-lap event. He finished his first Truck event in sixth.

ROCKINGHAM HISTORY: Elliott, who will line up his No. 94 Chevrolet in this weekend’s Truck event at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway, went to Victory Lane at historic track in the USAR Pro Cup Series event in May 2011. The 17-year-old driver started sixth and led 22 laps en route to the win.

DRIVER AND CREW CHIEF: Crew chief Lance McGrew joined Elliott for his most recent start at Rockingham Speedway on Nov. 3, 2012, when the No. 94 team lined up for the K&N Pro Series East event at the one-mile oval. Elliott qualified 15th and improved to finish 12th in the last race of the 2012 season.

McGREW AT THE ROCK: From 2002-2004, McGrew served as crew chief with Hendrick Motorsports drivers in five NASCAR Nationwide Series starts at Rockingham. McGrew notably coached Brian Vickers to a pole position in 2003 and also recorded one top-five finish and four top-10s in those five starts.

LOOP DATA: According to NASCAR's loop data statistics, Elliott ranks inside the top 10 in multiple categories so far this season. He sits ninth among drivers ranked in green-flag speed (8.000 average ranking) and owns a ninth-best 225laps run in the top 15. Elliott is 10th among closers, with four positions gained in the last 10 percent of the Truck event at Martinsville.

NINE TRUCK STARTS: This weekend’s event at Rockingham marks the second of nine NASCAR Camping World Truck Series starts Elliott will make this season driving the No. 94 Chevrolet. Elliott will make his next Truck appearance May 31 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Click here for his full racing schedule.

AUTOGRAPH SESSION: Elliott will join his fellow Truck series drivers in an autograph session with fans on Saturday from 10:15 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. local time. The autograph session is open to anyone holding a ticket for Saturday’s or Sunday’s races and will take place near the rocks at the track entrance.

Quotes

CHASE ELLIOTT, DRIVER, NO. 94 AARON’S DREAM MACHINE/HENDRICKCARS.COM CHEVROLET (ON RACING AT ROCKINGHAM, N.C.): “Having run a race with these guys (in the Truck series) will help going into this weekend, and I think Rockingham is going to be a lot of fun. The biggest thing is that Rockingham is unique when compared to other racetracks. You can run all over it, and that's something you don't see often in racing today “

"I've learned a lot from him," Chase Elliott said. "We've done a lot of racing these last four years and we've gone to a lot of different race tracks. I think that's helped more than anything. We've gone to places, I've burned up brakes, we've gotten super-tight, gotten loose, blown right-fronts, blown right-rears. It seems like we've seen a lot of stuff, and I think all that's going to do is help better prepare you for races like this in the truck series.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (April 10, 2013) — Larger than life figures who built NASCAR lap by lap and bolt by bolt from the post-World War II era into the 21st century comprise the 25 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2014.

NASCAR today announced those 25 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s fifth induction class, and included among the diverse group are five newcomers whose achievements are cornerstones of the sport’s origins and continue to fuel its growth in contemporary times.

Of the 25 nominees, 20 return from last year’s group. Five are first-timers with varying backgrounds in the sport: second generation NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion Dale Jarrett; Maurice Petty, for more than three decades the chief engine builder for Petty Enterprises; five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion Larry Phillips; race track builder and owner Bruton Smith; and 1960 NASCAR premier series champion Rex White.

From that list, five inductees will be elected by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, which includes a nationwide fan vote on NASCAR.COM. Voting Day for the 2014 class will be May 22. Fans can attend the announcement at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, N.C.

This round of nominees was selected by a 21-person Nominating Committee consisting of representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame and track owners from both major facilities and historic short tracks. The committee’s votes were tabulated by accounting firm Ernst & Young.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame’s 2014 inductees will be determined by a 54-member Voting Panel, which includes the entire Nominating Committee, media members, manufacturer representatives, retired competitors (drivers, owners and crew chiefs) and recognized industry leaders. In addition, the fan vote will result in the Voting Panel’s final ballot. Fan voting on NASCAR.COM opens today, April 10 and closes May 21 at noon.

Following are the 25 nominees, listed alphabetically:

Red Byron, first NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion, in 1949

Richard Childress, 11-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series

Jerry Cook, six-time NASCAR Modified champion

H. Clay Earles, founder of Martinsville Speedway

Tim Flock, two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion

Ray Fox,legendary engine builder and owner of cars driven by Buck Baker, Junior Johnson and others

Anne Bledsoe France, helped build the sport with husband Bill France Sr. Affectionately known as "Annie B.," she is the first woman to be nominated for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Rick Hendrick, 13-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series

Jack Ingram, two-time NASCAR Busch (now Nationwide) Series champion and three-time Late Model Sportsman champion

Bobby Isaac, 1970 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion

Dale Jarrett, 1999 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion and three-time Daytona 500 winner

Fred Lorenzen, 26 wins and winner of the Daytona 500 and World 600

Raymond Parks, NASCAR’s first champion car owner

Benny Parsons, 1973 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion

Maurice Petty, chief engine builder for Petty Enterprises

Larry Phillips, only five-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion

Les Richter, former NASCAR executive; former president of Riverside International Raceway

Fireball Roberts, 33 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series wins, including the 1962 Daytona 500

T. Wayne Robertson, helped raise NASCAR popularity as R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company senior VP

Wendell Scott,NASCAR trailblazer was the first African-American NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series race winner, and first to be nominated for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Ralph Seagraves, formed groundbreaking Winston-NASCAR partnership as executive with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

O. Bruton Smith, builder of Charlotte Motor Speedway and architect of Speedway Motorsports Inc.

Curtis Turner, early personality, called the "Babe Ruth of stock car racing"

Joe Weatherly, two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion

Rex White, 1960 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion

Detailed information about the 25 nominees is available at NASCAR.COM (www.nascar.com/halloffame)  and NASCARMedia.com, NASCAR’s media-only website (http://bit.ly/2014-NASCAR-HOF-Nominees).

The 21-person Nominating Committee follows...

NOMINATING COMMITTEE

NASCAR Hall of Fame: Executive Director Winston Kelley; Historian Buz McKim.

NASCAR Officials: Chairman/CEO Brian France; Vice Chairman Jim France; President Mike Helton; Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton; Senior Vice President of Racing Operations Steve O'Donnell; Competition Administrator Jerry Cook; former Senior Vice President Paul Brooks; former Vice President Ken Clapp.

Track Owners/Operators: International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa Kennedy; Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell; Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage; Atlanta Motor Speedway President Ed Clark; former Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George; Dover Motorsports CEO Denis McGlynn; Pocono Raceway board of director member Looie McNally; Bowman Gray Stadium operator Dale Pinilis; Riverhead Raceway operators Jim and Barbara Cromarty (1 vote); Rockford Speedway owner Jody Deery; Kingsport Speedway Operator Robert Pressley.

“I’m happy with our finish. I’m not satisfied, but I’m happy. It was a solid day. I feel like the Truck had a lot more in it than that. With these short tracks it’s all about where you are on the restarts and it was hard to pass there at the end. I’m just happy for Aaron’s, Hendrickcars.com and the team. I think if we can keep running like that, we’ll be pretty close to a win soon,” Elliott said.

The 17-year-old driver opened the weekend with a strong qualifying run, securing an eighth-place starting position for Saturday. Elliott and crew chief Lance McGrew worked throughout the first half of the event to address a snug-handling condition and find drive off for the No. 94 Chevy. The 250-lap race featured 11 caution periods, giving the duo ample opportunity to dial in the handling.

As the race wound down, Elliott worked his way back into the top 10 and positioned himself to sprint for the win in the final restart with 17 laps to go. The No. 94 Chevrolet gained four positions in the closing laps to secure sixth-place and a top-10 season opening finish.

Next up, Elliott will drive his No. 94 Aaron’s Dream Machine/Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet when the Truck series travels to Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway on April 14.

He proved it last weekend with back-to-back weekend victories - one on the dirt banks at Tri-County Race Track in North Carolina, and the other in front of his home crowd on the half-mile asphalt track at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson.

And now, the 17 year-old driver has his eyes fixed on one of NASCAR's top three touring divisions, the Camping World Truck Series (CWTS). Elliott has nine CWTS races scheduled, with his first career start in this weekend's Kroger 250 event, to be held Saturday, Apr. 6, at Martinsville Speedway, Va.

Gordon Pirkle, CEO of the GRHOF said the event is sure to be action-packed.

"This is a huge deal for the Elliotts and for Dawsonville," said Pirkle. "A little ole town like this has a Cup Champion and now his son, being from the same little old town is making a name for himself. We should really be proud of our racing roots. I'm proud to say I'm from the same town."

Pirkle said plans are being finalized to show Elliott's debut appearance in the Camping World Truck Series, on the big screen at the GRHOF, on Saturday, April 6, beginning at 1 p.m.

"Even if you don't plan on staying for the whole event, we want everyone to come out and leave well-wishes for Chase," said Pirkle. Although details have not yet been released, Pirkle is working on a special gift for Elliott and is asking the community to help him with the project.

"You just gotta come by and see it for yourself. Let's show him how much we support him," Pirkle added.

The son of 1988 Cup Series Champion Bill Elliott, the younger Elliott is adamant about making a name of his own through hard work and his own skills.

"He's my dad and I'm me, and I'm trying to make a name for myself. I'm going to try to do my best no matter what," Elliott said in a recent press released posted on his official website, chaseelliott.com.

Elliott will drive the No. 94 Aaron's Dream Machine/Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet and hopefully steer it straight into his comfort zone - victory lane.

This past weekend Elliott found himself on victory lane Friday night when he picked up his first dirt Crate Late Model win at Tri-County Race Track in Brasstown, N.C. It was only his third start in a dirt late model.

Then, the following Saturday, Elliott contented in Gresham's season opener, the Larry Fleeman Memorial 198. Elliott found himself in a competitive field of Pro Late Model drivers, including Augie Grill, Bubba Pollard, Hunter Robins, and Russell Fleeman.

The opening half of the event was calm for Elliott, but the action was unleashed in the second segment, as he fended off challenge after challenge, while running on older tires.

"It was pretty eventful, especially when we were out there on those old tires, and those guys were coming," said Elliott in victory lane. "I knew they were coming. I just had a percent of a chance if I could hold them off on the top."

Pit strategy enabled Elliott to move into the best positioning during the 98 laps remaining in the second segment. A perfect time to be strategizing placement, with the battle for position increasing due to rain being reported in the area. Elliott held on to the lead for more than 30 laps of the second half, battling door-to-door with Fleeman, Alex Guenette, and Kyle Plott. When Plott made contact with Guenette, the caution flag was dropped and it allowed Elliott a chance for fresh tires.

With 27 laps remaining, Elliott made his way down pit road with Grill and Pollard following suit. Fleeman remained on the track and moved into the lead position for the race named in honor of his late father.

On the restart the lead position was taken by Robbins, moving Fleeman into second and 13 year-old Garrett Jones into third. But, Elliott and Grill were quickly approaching the front and with 23 laps to go, Grill maneuvered around Fleeman, snagging second while Elliott remained closely behind. Two laps later, Grill and Elliott were leading the field. With only 17 remaining, Elliott fired up his veteran-style driving tactics and bolted to the inside of Grill, making the final pass for the lead position in the third turn.

Once he made the pass and he was back in the comfort zone, Elliott pulled away, to a 3.740 second margin out front.

"Hats off to Russell and those guys for racing me clean," Elliott said in victory lane. "They could have very easily run in there and wrecked us, or moved me up the race track at the very least. It's fun racing like that, and obviously I thought that was a great show for the fans, running side by side like that."

FAMILIAR SURNAMES DOT LINEUP FOR NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES RACE AT MARTINSVILLE

BLANEY, BURTON AND ELLIOTT GREW UP AT TRACK; ALL COMPETE TOGETHER FOR FIRST TIME SATURDAY ON SPEED™ AT 1 P.M. ET

Three of the youngest drivers in Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race (LIVE on SPEED at 1:30 p.m. ET; NCWTS Setup with Krista Voda at 1 p.m. ET) may be short on years and racing experience, but they’re long on pedigrees and time spent together.

Ryan Blaney, 19, Jeb Burton, 20, and Chase Elliott, 17, not only are climbing the NASCAR ladder together, they grew up at the race track alongside each other while their fathers competed in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. As the sons of Dave Blaney, Ward Burton and Bill Elliott, respectively, the three “young guns” all have fond childhood memories of passing race weekends surrounded by motorhomes, asphalt and campfires.

“I remember growing up with Jeb at the track,” reflected Blaney, who at 18 became the youngest driver ever to win a Truck Series race last season. “He and I were closer to the same age when our dads were racing. Bill (Elliott) was kind of getting out of it by the time we were old enough to really roam around by ourselves, and Chase was younger … I got to know Chase and Jeb pretty good over the past couple of years.”

“The (Motor Racing Outreach) playground was obviously the hangout,” recalled Elliott, attempting to make his career-first Truck Series start this weekend in the No. 94 Aaron’s Dream Machine/Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet. “That was just a fact. If you weren’t at the playground on race weekend, you weren’t at the race track. That’s just the way it was. It’s been such a long time, but I do remember hanging out with those guys for sure.”

“There were a lot of drivers’ kids around my age,” added Blaney, driver of the No. 29 Cooper Standard Performance Products Ford for Brad Keselowski Racing. “It was kind of that age group of eight-to-12 years old, and we’d always go to Motor Racing Outreach and hang out. We really looked forward to seeing each other. That’s the only thing you can really do at the race track at that age. You don’t know enough to go in the pits and be interactive (laughing).”

While all three are blessed with talent and competitive equipment in the Truck Series, there is no doubt they are exceedingly fortunate to have fathers who can impart years of experience.

“He has been a big help, a big influence on me,” Blaney said of his father, Dave, who pilots the No. 7 Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing in the Cup Series. “I’m very fortunate he’s still racing Cup and has been able to help me out even more on that side since we’re racing some of the same tracks this year. He’s a huge help when he’s at the track, which is 90-percent of the races, and he’s always the first one to stick his head in the window and tell me what he thinks. It’s a big advantage having him in my corner.”

“It’s just like every other father -- he wants to see me do well and succeed,” said Burton, driver of the No. 4 Arrowhead Chevrolet for Turner Scott Motorsports. “When I do really well, he’s emotional because it means something to him. He knows how badly I want to do it and I’m good at it, so that’s really cool when everything comes together.”

So, as the mantle passes from father to son within this fraternity, the younger generation recognizes the tremendous potential of their playmates-turned-competitors.

“A developing talent,” Blaney said of Elliott, who won a race and finished fourth in the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East point standings as a 16-year-old. “He’s so young – only 17 – and getting all these opportunities and has been unbelievably good in all the Late Model stuff he has done. Being that good at 16 and 17, being with Hendrick and being able to run the Trucks … He’s going to be a huge threat in the races he runs this year and next year when he runs fulltime. He’s one to watch out for.”

“Chase is still learning these trucks and he’s going to be very good,” Burton predicted. “He has come to me with questions because while I don’t have a lot of experience in Trucks, I have more than him. He’s going to be good.”

Elliott and Blaney competed against each other seven times in the K&N Pro Series East in the 2011 and 2012 seasons, during which Blaney notched two top-five and four top-10 finishes as a 17- and 18-year-old. He hopped coasts once in 2011, winning the one K&N Pro Series West race he entered. Elliott finished third that day at age 15.

“He’s always been a good racer,” Elliott said of Blaney, whose nine Truck starts in 2012 netted him one win, two top-five and five top-10 finishes. “He races you with a lot of respect. I’ve raced with him a lot and we’ve only had a problem one time. I feel like that’s just racing and stuff is going to happen. Ryan has been a good dude to me and he’s been a good friend, too.”

Burton has been fast out of the gate, as well. In his six career NCWTS starts, the Virginia native has logged one top-five and two top-10 finishes, and opened 2013 with a fifth-place showing at Daytona. Driving a Late Model stock car in 2012, he scored his career-first victory at South Boston (Va.) Speedway, a venue with grandstands named after his father and uncle, Jeff Burton.

“I was impressed right off the bat by how well he adapted to those Trucks and how much success he was having in a short amount of time,” Elliott stated of Burton. “I definitely feel like he was overachieving with what he had to work with, and I feel like that was pretty impressive. I’ve known Jeb for a long, long time. I’m looking forward to running with him.”

The three young men not only relish the fact they get to square off against their playground pals, they pull for each other … at least to finish second and third.

“If I’m winning the race and they’re fighting to be second, yeah, you definitely pull for your friends because you want them to succeed as much as you have,” Blaney explained. “It’s the same in every sport. You stick close to your friends, and when they’re as good as those two, you definitely want to see them succeed, especially when you’ve known them so long.”

“I’m really excited about the first start,” Elliott said. “It’s been a long, few months since we’ve all known about it, and for it to finally be here is really exciting for me, Aaron’s, the team and everyone involved.”

Elliott recently got a taste of racing at the historic paperclip oval when he participated in a NASCAR test there in late March. He worked with crew chief Lance McGrew to get a feel for the .526-mile racetrack – the shortest in any of NASCAR’s top three national touring series. McGrew is in his second full season with Elliott, and he has both NASCAR Sprint Cup and Truck Series experience at Martinsville. In 10 combined starts there, he has posted four top-10 finishes.

“Rolling into this weekend, we’re ready to go,” Elliott said. “The test went really well. Going out and making mock qualifying runs was a big help for me to get a sense of a track I’ve never raced at before. We made long green-flag runs, and I have a pretty good idea of where we need to be in practice to be competitive in the race.”

No stranger to short track racing, Elliott grew up winning late model events and earned his first NASCAR victory last year in the K&N Pro Series East-West combo event at.875-mile Iowa Speedway in May. The Dawsonville, Ga., native concluded his 2012 K&N run with eight top-10 finishes in 11 short track starts. Coming off his strong season in the K&N car, Elliott has high expectations.

“I won’t be happy unless we can win at least one race this year in the Truck series,” Elliott said. “I want a win and to finish in at least the top-10 every race. We’re capable of doing that, and if some things go our way, it can happen.”

The 250-lap NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Martinsville Speedway will take place on Saturday, April 6 at 2 p.m. ET.