Two names that equal NASCAR royalty will join forces for 2014.
Chase Elliott (Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR)
JR Motorsports announced Monday that Chase Elliott, with NAPA sponsorship, will run full-time for the team in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.
Elliott will run the No. 9 NAPA Chevy, the same number his father Bill drove for much of his legendary career in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Chase Elliott turned 18 on Nov. 28, making him eligible for Nationwide Series competition.
“This is the opportunity of a lifetime,” Chase Elliott said in a release. “My family and I are still trying to believe it all. I couldn’t ask to be partnered with anyone better than Dale [Earnhardt] Jr., Kelley [Earnhardt-Miller] and Mr. [Rick] Hendrick, along with all of the people at their organizations who have put in countless hours to pull this together.
“Working with NAPA will be an honor. They’ve had a tremendous impact in NASCAR, and I’m proud to represent their brand, on and off the track, to race fans. I’m extremely pumped to get to work in 2014 with that first trip to Daytona and make the most of this opportunity.”
Elliott signed a developmental contract with Hendrick Motorsports in 2011. JR Motorsports is co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Hendrick. Elliott won his first K&N Pro Series East race Iowa Speedway on May 19, 2012. He won an ARCA event on June 8, 2013 at Pocono Raceway. On Sept. 1 2013 he became the then youngest winner in Camping World Truck Series history when he was victorious at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park in his sixth series start.
“Chase has been extremely successful, and I think the Nationwide Series is only a short step for him,” JR Motorsports owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. “With the infrastructure we have at JR Motorsports and our close-working partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, we have every opportunity to continue Chase’s development as a driver while contending for a championship. He’s that good.
“The key in this is NAPA, and I feel privileged to welcome them to my race team after working with them so extensively earlier in my career. I recognize – and I think Chase does, too – the responsibility that comes with representing a company so significant in the lives of NASCAR fans. We welcome the opportunity and appreciate what NAPA means to this sport.”
This is a big push for him. IMO after a few years he will take over for Jeff Gordon. As much as I love Jeff Gordon and he is my favorite driver. After 21 years I think he knows his time is coming to an end.