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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Chase Elliott‘s first taste of Daytona 500 qualifying racing Thursday night ended well with the 20-year-old rookie securing a sixth-place finish in the first of two Can-Am Duel events.
The Daytona 500 pole-winner led the first two laps of the race before eventual race winner — and Elliott’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate — Dale Earnhardt Jr. took control leading all but 27 of the 60 laps.
Elliott expected it would be a learning experience — a high speed lesson in speedway drafting with the big kids. And it certainly proved to be.
“Just a lot of things learned for me, got into a few positions, had a few things happen that I should have stopped before they did happen,” Elliott said. “The top was pretty dominant, I feel like whatever lane Dale (Earnhardt Jr.) was in, was moving forward fast. He does a good job working the air and that was something I struggled with.”
Elliott spoke at length with his crew on pit road after climbing out of his No. 24 NAPA Chevrolet after the race. This year’s version of Speedweeks is simultaneously a learning experience and a high-profile opportunity for the promising young talent.
Elliott, son of NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bill Elliott, has taken over the driver’s seat of just-retired Jeff Gordon‘s famed No. 24 Chevrolet. He was well aware many eyes were on him for that reason. After becoming the youngest Daytona pole-sitter in history this past weekend, the expectations are high for the rookie.
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None higher, however, than Elliott’s own. Standing on pit road after the race he was still scrutinizing his performance, and speaking about learning opportunities.
“We’ve got to be aggressive with the side-draft and keeping guys pinned down at times,” Elliott explained of the lessons he learned Thursday night. “It’s just being mindful of which lane is forming up ahead of time and the good guys make that happen and recognize that.
“We have some areas I know we need to work on and some things I need to recognize before they happen and the good guys do that so I’ve got to learn.
“But,” he said turning around and looking at his unscathed Chevrolet, “the car’s in one piece. Just got to take it and try to correct things.”
In addition to working with his teammates on the track, Elliott’s six-time champion HMS teammate Jimmie Johnson was on the radio and stood on the pit road stand, offering assistance to his first-year Cup teammate.
“Jimmie’s up here; he says just make sure you block the middle,” Elliott was told at one point.
His veteran spotter, Eddie D’Hondt, was mindful of guiding the rookie too.
“The tough part here is you just don’t want to ever lose this draft. Just keep that in mind,” D’Hondt told Elliott early in the event, adding a couple laps later, “So right here you’re always in looking your mirror looking to block the middle. See what Kasey did ahead of you was try to side-draft Dillon. What we want to watch here is that not all of your help here bails and goes to the top and you get conga again. But they’re not.”
Another Elliott teammate, the race winner Earnhardt, made a point to speak with the rookie before the race began and told him, “I’m not going to be helping you tonight and don’t help me, don’t worry about where I’m at.
“Do everything you can to keep the lead, don’t give the lead up. …You’ve just got to be selfish.”
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Elliott said he looked forward to getting together with the group for a post-race review, but was encouraged overall and eager to put the lessons learned to use in Sunday’s Daytona 500.
“The car’s in one piece and we were able to bring it back all in one piece and that was a goal in itself,” Elliott said. “That experience gained tonight was the most important thing and I feel good about that and I know there are some things I need to do differently an just correct for Sunday.”