DAWSONVILLE, Ga. (September 28, 2009) - After an unscheduled weekend off, Chase Elliott was ready for a tough double header at Five Flags Speedway (Pensacola, Fla.) and Mobile (Ala.) International Speedway, as the sister tracks wrapped up their Super Late Model championship series.  Unfortunately, Elliott and the No. 9 Aaron's Dream Machine didn't come back to Dawsonville, Ga., with the results they had hoped for. 

While running in the top-ten at Five Flags, the engine on the No. 9 Ford gave out on lap 66, resulting in a DNF and a 21st place finish.  Over at Mobile, rain washed out qualifying and the 100-lap race, which is rescheduled for October 24th.  Elliott will miss the make-up event while he races for the Georgia Asphalt Series championship.

"Even though the weekend was an overall disappointment, it was a confidence builder for me personally," said Elliott.  "We went back to Pensacola and were much more competitive this time throughout practice, qualifying and the race.  Then having the opportunity to go to Mobile for the first time after having heard so much about the track was something I was really looking forward to.  After my first time out on the track I knew I loved it!  It was fast and my car seemed pretty good just from unloading our back up.  We were running in the top five in practice in between showers but never were able to get dialed in for qualifying due to weather.  I am really looking forward to going back there.  I just want to thank all the guys on the team for working so hard this weekend.  And a big thanks to Aaron's and our product sponsors for their support all season."

Elliott and the No. 9 Aaron's Dream Machine unloaded strong at Five Flags Speedway, leading the field in the first practice with a lap of 17.074 seconds.  Elliott put the No. 9 in the top-ten in the final practice and lined up 22nd out of 29 cars for the evening's qualifying session.  Elliott's fast lap of 16.888 seconds was good enough for third, behind Augie Grill and Johanna Long.

Elliott, who was making his second start at the legendary track, ran in the top-ten among a very stout field of Super Late Model (SML) regulars.  At the half-way mark on lap 50, Elliott was seventh behind Grill, Long, Casey Smith, Eddie Mercer, John Bolen and Stephen McCurley. 

It looked as though Elliott was well on his way to a strong finish in only his fifth SLM start until lap 66 when he steered the No. 9 Dream Machine onto pit road with a blown engine, ending his night early.  After coming up 34 laps short of the checkers, Elliott was credited with a 21st place finish.

On Saturday, the team headed west to Mobile International Speedway looking for redemption.  With many of the same drivers making the trek to Mobile, Elliott was confident with his fifth place showing in the first practice round.  Mother Nature, however, had other plans for Saturday night as the rain poured down over the track and washed out the night's event.  The race is rescheduled for October 24th, but Elliott will not make the trip due to a scheduling conflict with the Georgia Asphalt Series, where he is currently running for his first Late Model championship.

Elliott and the No. 9 Aaron's Dream Machine are off this weekend as they prepare for another double header weekend at Five Flags and Mobile on October 9th and 10th. 

For the most up-to-date Chase Elliott news, including his racing schedule and weekly podcast, please visit www.ChaseElliott.com. While you're there, be sure to vote for Elliott in the 2009 Late Model Most Popular Driver Award presented by Aluminum Racing Products by clicking on the banner at the top of the homepage.  You can vote daily until December 6th.