(WOMR file photo)
Chase Elliott, with a bonzai move in a “two lap dash for the cash”, muscled his way past Elliott Sadler on the final lap of Friday night’s Nationwide race to score his second straight win in his seventh start in the series.
Elliott, who restarted sixth on Lap 146, charged to the front and claimed victory in the VFW Sport Clips Help a Hero 200 in his first event at the fabled 1.366-mile track. The victory was Elliott’s second in as many weeks and the second of his fledgling career.
Sadler, who gambled on two tires for the final restart with two laps left, held the second spot. Matt Kenseth ran third, followed by polesitter Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Kyle Larson and Kevin Harvick.
“I knew the guys on two tires (Sadler and Larson) were going to be a little slower than the guys on four,” Elliott said of the final restart. “Our lane went and Elliott (Sadler) got a little loose off (Turn) 2 and let me get to the outside, and that was where I wanted to be anyway.”
Elliott won last Friday at Texas Motor Speedway, but the victory at Darlington, where his father Bill Elliott won five NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races, had special significance.
“Darlington has always been my favorite place to watch a race,” said Chase Elliott, the youngest driver ever to win at Nationwide Series race at Darlington at 18 years, 4 months, 4 days. “Just to be a part of this race is unbelievable.
“To win this thing is a day I’ll never forget.”
Elliott also is the youngest driver ever to win two NNS races, and he’s the youngest driver to lead the series points standings, a feat he accomplished for the first time last week at Texas. On Friday night, Elliott extended his points lead to 13 over Regan Smith, who recovered from a spin to finish eighth.
As I have written recently, you are looking at the future driver of the Hendrick Motorsports #24 Chevy, when Jeff Gordon hangs up his helmet. If there is any question that Chase Elliott has talent as a race car driver, the question has just been answered!
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
