Chase Elliott Scores First ARCA Victory With Pocono Win

Dawsonville, Georgia’s Chase Elliott became the youngest superspeedway winner in ARCA Racing Series history Saturday afternoon when he scored his first career ARCA victory Pocono Raceway. Photo courtesy Chase Elliott.com

Seventeen-year-old Chase Elliott became the youngest superspeedway winner in ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards history Saturday, winning the Pocono ARCA 200 at Pocono Raceway.

Elliott, in the No. 9 Aaron’s Dream Machine-Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet, raced his way from the 32nd starting position, took the lead with 21 laps to go, and then held back a hard charge from fellow 17-year-old driver Erik Jones to earn his career-first ARCA victory.

“This was a lot of fun,” Elliott said. “This means a ton to me. It was about 10 years ago that I was sitting in victory lane here with my dad.”

Elliott, who had to test at Pocono beforehand just to be eligible to enter the race, is a few months younger than Shelby Howard was when Howard won at Kansas Speedway in 2003.

“I had some work to do to get to the front,” Elliott said. “When I got there I was a little cautious there at the end, maybe too cautious. I didn’t want to make a mistake with any of the lapped cars.”

Jones, in the No. 15 ToyotaCare Toyota, got within five lengths of Elliott at the checkered flag after erasing a four-second deficit over the final 15 laps.

“I think Chase just got too far out in front of us,” he said. “I was doing everything I could to catch him at the end. I grabbed the wall a little bit. We were pushing it hard.”

Jones, like Elliott, capitalized on the opportunity created by a new ARCA driver approval process that allows 17-year-old drivers to race at Pocono and Kentucky Speedway. Both drivers were among 20 drivers that participated in an ARCA-sanctioned open test at Pocono Wednesday.

Jones led laps early but ran out of fuel just as a caution flag came out, and then had to start at the tail end of the field. He worked his way back to the front and put on a furious rally at the end, but ran out of time.

“We’ll come back here in August and try it again,” Jones said.

Series point leader Frank Kimmel, who led the first 22 laps, finished third while Tom Hessert finished fourth. Mason Mitchell was fifth, with Mason Mingus sixth.

Kimmel came up short in his bid to tie Iggy Katona in career ARCA Racing Series victories, but increased his series point lead over second-place Mingus and third place Hessert.

“Jeriod (Prince) told me we weren’t faster than first or second, but we were faster than third,” Kimmel said. “At that point, you think about points and finishing strong.”

Kimmel led the most laps, followed by Elliott, and Jones, who led 20. Mingus and Hessert also led laps. Four cautions slowed the race for 21 laps. The 80-lap, 200-mile race took just over 90 minutes to complete.

A.J. Henriksen, one of four cars in the race fielded by Venturini Motorsports, finished seventh. Spencer Gallagher was eighth. Justin Boston was ninth. Josh Williams finished 10th, his fourth consecutive top-10 finish.

Despite an event-filled race, Elliott was the story of the show, setting the age mark on a track that his father won five career NASCAR races at. The elder Elliott stood alone atop the Hendrick Motorsports ARCA team transporter for most of the race watching his son make laps, take the lead, and then hold on for the victory.

“He definitely helped me out a lot,” Chase said. “He wasn’t here Wednesday, but we talked on the phone. It was strange coming here because I am so used to coming here with dad and watching him race.

“Being able to come to the ARCA series and run at Pocono Raceway is huge for me. It definitely opens some doors for us and enables us to do something different.”

ARCA Racing Series
Pocono Raceway – Long Pond, PA
Pocono ARCA 200 – June 8, 2013

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