At 13, youngest driver to start ASA SAT race; third top-ten in three LM starts

DAWSONVILLE, Ga. (April 13, 2009)  –  Chase Elliott became the youngest driver to start an ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour event on Saturday when he took the green flag in the No. 9 Aaron’s Lucky Dog Dream Machine for the Matt Hawkins Memorial 100 at Lanier National Speedway  in Braselton, Ga.  The 13-year-old driver qualified 16th out of 34 cars and steered the Dream Machine to a sixth-place finish in a field stacked with former race winners and Late Model series champions.

“This has been another great weekend in the Aaron’s Dream Machine,” Elliott said following his first ASA SAT start.  “We worked on the car a lot during practice and really got it turning good in the center.  We felt pretty good going into qualifying, and I really think we could have started higher than 16th, but I messed up a little on my qualifying lap.  The car was awesome during the race, and I knew if I just stayed out of trouble we would have a good finish.  I think we could have gotten our first top-five if we didn’t have all of those cautions there at the end, but I’m really happy with another sixth place, especially with all of the great drivers in the field tonight.  I’m honored to get to race with them.

“I’m just having a great time in the Aaron’s Dream Machine Late Model and learning more every weekend.  I can’t thank Aaron’s and all of our contingency sponsors enough for supporting our team.  We’re just going to keep working hard and hopefully improving every week.”

Elliott has been turning heads since he made his first Late Model start three weeks ago, recording three top-10’s and knocking on the door of a top-5 with finishes of sixth, seventh and sixth.

Micky Cain, Operations Manager of the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour, was impressed with the second generation driver’s efforts at Lanier.

“We’re glad to have Chase racing with us in the ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour,” Cain said.  “He did a great job in his first start, and we were pleased with his patience and the clean race he drove.  We never had to worry about him getting in the way of the more experienced drivers; he raced them clean and held his own out there on the track.  We were very impressed, and we look forward to having Chase race with us again.”

Elliott made his first laps in a Late Model car during a test session last month at Lanier National Speedway.  The Matt Hawkins Memorial 100 marked Elliott’s first Late Model race at LNS.

Elliott and the team, led by this weekend’s crew chief Jim Barfield, started race day at Lanier with practice.  The team continually worked on the car throughout the day to improve the handling of the Aaron’s Dream Machine.  They were confident going into qualifying, and Elliott had a strong lap until he slipped up just slightly to drop him to 16th out of 34 cars.

Following a lengthy wait for the LNS local divisions, the 34-car ASA Southeast Asphalt Tour field finally took the green flag for the 100-lap Matt Hawkins Memorial with Elliott and the No. 9 Aaron’s Dream Machine rolling off in 16th place. 

Elliott was confident in the Aaron’s Dream Machine and immediately started his charge to the front.  Elliott passed all but three positions under green flag racing conditions and once again showcased his car control by avoiding several on-track incidents with the help of his dad, Bill Elliott, who was once again calling the shots from the spotters’ stand.

In the closing laps, Elliott moved into the sixth position and had his eyes set on his first top-five finish.  On more than one occasion, Elliott all but completed a pass on pole-winner Lee Langford, only to see a caution before the field could cross the stripes to record the official running order.  Elliott re-started in sixth each time.

The final caution on lap 92 halted Elliott’s momentum, and the youngster held off a late-race charge by series heavyweight Jeff Choquette to finish sixth in his first ASA/SAT start.