(TOLEDO, Ohio) – For the most part, the tracks on the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards tour are all brand new to Chase Elliott.
That said, his results so far have been impressive: a career-best second-place finish in his road course debut at New Jersey Motorsports Park, and a next-to-best fourth place finish on the very challenging Salem Speedway short track back in April. In fact, in five ARCA starts so far, he has not yet finished out of the top-10.
And when the 16-year-old son of NASCAR champion Bill Elliott returns to Salem Speedway for the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic presented by Federated Car Care Saturday night, September 15, he’ll finally be on familiar ground.
“It’s going to help a lot,” Elliott said.
“I’ve thought about this a lot. We had a good time last time we were at Salem, and we’ve made a lot of improvements for when we go back. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be fun.”
Elliott admits the historic old short track in southern Indiana is like no other.
“I had heard so much about it, but I had no idea of what to really expect. I thought that it can’t be that bad, but I found out it’s very challenging. It’s rough and you’re busy all the time whether you’re racing someone or not.
“It reminds me of a smaller Darlington with some Winchester (Speedway) mixed in, but in reality, it just doesn’t compare to anywhere.”
Elliott also said, when it comes to Salem, he’s all for listening to advice from veterans, specifically Frank Kimmel, who’s won at Salem a record nine times.
“I’m all for listening to the guys who have a lot of experience there, guys like Frank Kimmel who have so many laps around that place. Anything Frank Kimmel says I’m going to listen to, no matter where we’re at.
“But like everywhere else, it’ll come down to how the race plays out, when you get the cautions, and being able to make good calls on the spot.”
Fortunately for Elliott, he’ll have the experience of veteran crew chief Lance McGrew calling the shots from pit road. McGrew brings to the table vast experience, having worked with some of the most recognizable drivers in stock car racing, including Kyle Busch, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Tony Stewart, Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., to name a few.
So, with one Salem race on his resume and McGrew helping steer the ship, Elliott has every reason to believe he can win.
“Absolutely. I’d stay home if I didn’t think we can win. We’re going to be in a super car – the Aaron’s Dream Machine/HendrickCars.com Chevrolet with great support from a lot of very knowledgeable people. It’s going to be a good time. I’m really looking forward to this.”
Practice for the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic is scheduled from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m., with a final practice to follow from 1:45 to 2:30. Menards Pole Award Qualifying presented by Ansell is at 4. The Salem Street Stocks will get the racing action started with a 50-lap feature event at 5:30, followed by the Kentuckiana Ford Dealers ARCA Fall Classic at 7:15.
ARCA Celebrating 60th Anniversary Season
2012 is the ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards’ 60th Anniversary Season, featuring 20 races at 18 tracks. The complete 2012 event schedule is available at ARCARacing.com.
The ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards has crowned an ARCA national champion each year since its inaugural season in 1953, and has toured over 200 race tracks in 26 states since its inception. The series has tested the abilities of drivers and race teams over the most diverse schedule of stock car racing events in the world, visiting tracks ranging from 0.375 mile to 2.66 miles in length, on both paved and dirt surfaces as well as a left- and right-turn road course in its most recent season. This year, the series visited Alabama’s Mobile International Speedway and Minnesota’s Elko Speedway for the first time.
Founded by John and Mildred Marcum in 1953 in Toledo, Ohio, the Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) is recognized among the leading sanctioning bodies in the country. Closing in on completing its sixth decade after hundreds of thousands of miles of racing, ARCA administers over 100 race events each season in three professional touring series and local weekly events.
