DAWSONVILLE, Ga. (July 7, 2009) - Each year, the staff at Sports Illustrated chooses a handful of young athletes they believe will hit the national scene and excel into adulthood in their chosen sports.  This year, the writers at SI have chosen 13-year-old Chase Elliott of Dawsonville, Ga., to represent auto racing in the 2009 "Where Will They Be" special issue, which hits newsstands this Wednesday, July 8.

"This is such an honor to be selected in this year's 'Where Will They Be' issue of Sports Illustrated," Elliott said.  "When I think of some of the athletes that I am following who have gone on to have amazing careers it startles me a little; hopefully I can reach my goals and make that kind of impact as well.  I am really just out there, doing what I love to do more than anything else - competing in a race car - and I am lucky to have opportunities like this.  I can't say thank you enough to everyone who is helping me live out my dream: mom and dad, everyone at Aaron's, my teammates, the crew at Bill Elliott Racing and the fans that are beginning to follow my career."

Elliott, the son of NASCAR legend Bill Elliott, began racing go karts at the age of eight on dirt tracks across northern Georgia and entered the Colorado Sprint Championship Series in 2006 for his first full season of racing. 

After winning back-to-back championships in the CSCS, Elliott moved onto the Legends Racing series in 2007, where he swiftly excelled through Bandoleros and into Legends cars.  Elliott's accolades include 2007 Rookie of the Year in Atlanta Motor Speedway's Thursday Thunder Series and consecutive championships in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 AMS Winter Flurry Series / Georgia Winter Series. 

This year marked a major milestone in Elliott's young career as he entered the competitive ranks of Late Model racing, making him one step closer to his ultimate goal of racing in NASCAR's elite series.  After making his first Late Model start in March, Elliott scored his first win at his home track, Lanier National Speedway (Braselton, Ga.), in only his seventh start.  The win earned Elliott a place in the history books as the youngest winner of a sanctioned Late Model race at Lanier and also the youngest winner in the Georgia Asphalt Series.

At 13, Elliott also became the youngest driver to start and finish in the top-ten in an ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour when he posted a sixth place finish in the Matt Hawkins Memorial 100 at Lanier.

With starts in the Georgia Asphalt Series, ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour, ASA Late Model Series, Viper Series and the now defunct Southern Pro Late Model Series, Elliott has established an impressive record, finishing in the top-ten in all but one of his 12 starts.

The plans for Elliott's future include progressing into a Super Late Model car in series such as the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) and CRA Super Series.

The second-generation driver is also gaining invaluable experience in sponsor relations as he represents Atlanta-based Aaron's Sales & Lease Ownership, which also sponsors a car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. 

For more information about Chase Elliott, including his personal blog and racing schedule, please visit the recently launched official website, www.ChaseElliott.com.