Chase Elliott is all set for redemption in ‘unique and cool’ Auto Club Speedway
Chase Elliott is yet to win a NASCAR race in Auto Club.
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The 2023 season NASCAR Cup series, which makes the 75th-Anniversary edition of the sport, kicked off with a milestone Daytona 500. The Cup grid is on its way to Fontana, California, for the second race of the sedans. The Auto Club Speedway will host the PALA Casino 400, which will also be the final race on the old pavement as it will be reconfigured for 2024.
Hendrick Motorsport racing No:9 Chevy Camaro ZL1 driver Chase Elliott is in the spotlight going into the ACS. The 2022 Regular season champion had a disappointing Daytona 500 as he crashed out on Lap 119. The Georgian native has never won a race in the first 7 Cup races of the season, though he scores consistent top-10 finishes.
He was close to winning at Fontana in 2022, a late race crash saw him spring just a P27 while his teammate Kyle Larson took the win. He hopes to have a solid start in his 19th 2-mile track appearance. The 2020 Cup champion enjoys racing on the unique track. He can establish his championship credentials earlier in the season, unlike in 2022, where he had to wait for 10 races to win while all 3 of his teammates scored wins earlier in the season.
“I’m looking forward to kicking off the West Coast swing at Fontana. I really enjoy going out there. The track is unique, and it’s just a cool place. It’s one of those places you kind of forget about until it comes up on the schedule because you only race there once a year, and it’s so early in the season. I felt like we had a pretty good run going there toward the end of last year but didn’t end up with the finish to show for it. Hopefully, we’re able to improve upon that this weekend,” Chase Elliott said.
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Chase Elliott’s crew chief, is concerned about the weather at Fontana
The No:9 crew chief Alan Gustafson has some special connection to Fontana. He won his first Cup race at Auto Club, managing the No:5 HMS car of Kyle Busch. It was the first-ever Cup win of Busch’s illustrious career. Since joining Elliott’s No:24 team in 2016, which became No:9 two years later, he has scored 18 Cup wins and a championship.
Gustafson wants to win the race going into ACS but is concerned about the weather. The forecast shows a big chance of rain, and if the practice and qualifiers are washed out, drivers will line up on Sunday for a start based on the metric system.
“Fontana is kind of special for me. It’s where I got my first win, and I just really enjoy going there. It’s a really fast track, and it’s super unique. It’ll be interesting this weekend with the weather. Hopefully, it holds off, and we’re able to get some practice time in, but it could be a situation where we’re starting the race on Sunday without any track time,” Gustafson said.
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Justin P Joy
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