4/18/2016
Elliott Roars To Victory In Spring Shootout
(Photo by Fast Lane Photography)
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Chad Elliott is off to a rapid start in 2016, and continued the trend by capturing the biggest victory of his career on Saturday night. Elliott turned on the afterburners and rocketed from tenth on the grid to triumph in Clarksville (Tenn.) Speedway’s “Spring Shootout.”
Elliott’s weekend began with POWRi micro competition at Belle-Clair Speedway in Belleville, Ill. A huge crop of 53 racers turned out to test their skills on the renowned fifth-mile oval. With seven heat races on tap, Elliott’s pill draw set him as the seventh starter in heat three. Picking up three spots to finish in fourth put him just outside the top fourteen in points, which would have locked him into the main event. Instead, the Cottage Hills, Ill. racer would begin the first of two B-Mains from outside the front row. Early on, Elliott battled with Austin Stewart for the lead, and secured the position en route to the win.
The 20-lap main event capped off the night’s racing action. Directly after the sprint car main event, the track surface was extremely slick but still very conducive for great racing. Starting in 15th, Elliott began his move forward about four laps in. The 19-year-old shot by multiple competitors in a few short laps, but ultimately started slipping back as the track became exceedingly slick and the handling started to fade away in the waning laps. Elliott finished the night in 14th.
Night two of the weekend would be Clarksville’s $2000-to-win micro sprint special, a date Elliott had been eyeing for quite some time. With 26 entrants vying for the big payday, Elliott and the Hammer & Steel No. 65E completed heat race action in 4th after starting 3rd.
25 laps would settle the score in the main event, but Elliott would be coming from tenth on the starting grid. Steadily gaining ground, Elliott never let up and was quickly in contention for a spot inside the top five. Contact with an infield tire caused moderate damage to the front axle, but Elliott pressed on. Soon, the young gun realized that he might be in a position to earn a victory. Closing in on perennial micro sprint standout Travis Senter for the lead, Elliott expertly navigated by and seized the checkered flag. “I’m not gonna lie, I had no confidence in myself because I sucked in the heat,” Elliott recapped. “Then I started picking them off. When I got behind Senter and was pulling him, I’m like, ‘Man, I got a chance.’ Now I’m bringing the check back to Illinois.”
Elliott would like to thank Hammer & Steel, Berry Performance, JRE Performance, Phantom Racing Gear, and Competition Suspension Inc, as well as his family and all of his fans for their continued support.
Elliott is next scheduled to compete on April 22 at Jacksonville (Ill.) Speedway with the POWRi Outlaw Micro Series in the No. 65E 600cc micro sprint entry.
Quick Results
April 15 – Belleville, IL – 600cc Micro Sprint – Heat: 4th (7); B-Main: 1st (2); Feature: 14th (15)
April 16 – Clarksville, TN – 600cc Micro Sprint – Heat: 4th (3); Feature: 1st (10)
2016 Stats
5 races, 5 features, 1 win, 3 podiums, 4 top-fives, 4 top-tens, 0 DNFs
Social Media
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Article Credit: Redbeard Promotions
