NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. -- Before attempting to win his first Daytona 500 this week at Daytona International Speedway, Chase Elliott took a detour to New Smyrna Speedway on Tuesday evening to compete in the Clyde Hart Memorial.
The evening was a calm, yet uneventful one for the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion. After qualifying 10th, Elliott struggled to move his No. 9 Super Late Model through the field, but took advantage of some late attrition to earn a sixth-place finish.
Although Elliott wished he could have challenged race-winner Bubba Pollard in the opening race of the ASA STARS National Tour season, he took some solace over having made progress at New Smyrna in a Super Late Model.
“It was OK,” Elliott said. “I felt like I learned a little bit driving [this car], which is nice. We were better than we’ve ever been [at New Smyrna] since this has always been a really poor track for us.”
[caption id="attachment_420186" align="alignnone" width="1300"]Elliott’s last appearance at New Smyrna prior to Tuesday occurred during the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing in 2013. He competed in two Super Late Model events during that week, scoring finishes of fourth and sixth, respectively.
The efficiency Elliott displayed in Super Late Models during his youth helped propel him to his current position in the NASCAR Cup Series. Among the accomplishments on Elliott’s Super Late Model resume include two Snowball Derby victories at Florida's Five Flags Speedway as well as triumphs in the Winchester 400 at Indiana's Winchester Speedway and All American 400 at Tennessee's Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.
Despite his past success, all the changes to Super Late Model racing during the past decade meant Elliott had minimal notes to rely on for his New Smyrna return. He had to find a perfect balance between re-learning the abrasive New Smyrna surface while also making a serious effort to win the race.
RELATED: Photos of Chase Elliott during the Clyde Hart Memorial With each practice session, Elliott got more comfortable behind the wheel of his Super Late Model. Like it was during his development years, track time was pivotal and proved beneficial against a stout field of 32 cars.“This is a craft,” Elliott said. “You’re always wanting to try and better that by breaking bad habits and building good ones. That’s what I’m after.”
The habits that made Elliott a champion in both the Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series were on display at New Smyrna. With the race being divided into three stages like the NASCAR Cup Series, Elliott knew there would be chances to adjust and did not make any rushed decisions while dealing with the drivers around him.
Being methodical could only help Elliott to a certain point Tuesday night. Passing proved to be a difficult task for Elliott throughout the 200-lap event and it took misfortune hindering Super Late Model veterans like Stephen Nasse and Ty Majeski for Elliott to start climbing his way closer to the top five.
[caption id="attachment_420187" align="alignnone" width="1300"]Elliott’s final pass of the evening came in the closing laps against Austin Nason. Dealing with aggressive defense as Nason pinched him down on the bottom groove, Elliott ran out of patience and lightly nudged Nason out of his way to take control of the sixth position.
The final showing was not what Elliott had envisioned in front of a packed house at New Smyrna, but he understands how difficult it is to be consistent in Super Late Models against the those who race them on a regular basis. Elliott intends to one day win another Super Late Model race and is optimistic Tuesday was a positive step towards achieving that goal.
“You always look back and feel like you could do something different,” Elliott said. “The cars are super different from the Cup side, but we’re going to keep working at it.
“Sixth is what it was [on Tuesday] and we’ll try again next time.”
Elliott hopes to run another Super Late Model event soon, but those plans remain fluid. His focus now turns towards rebounding from a challenging 2023 NASCAR Cup Series season by attempting to win his first Daytona 500 in his ninth try on Monday.