The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion has just added another race to his schedule. Chase Elliott will compete in the final round of the Nitro Rallycross season on December 4-5.
Nitro Rallycross, the creation of Travis Pastrana, revealed the news on Tuesday, November 23, with an introductory video. The series confirmed that Elliott will drive the “GoNitro” ZipRecruiter Subaru during the trip to The Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park. Key partner A Shoc Energy will also join him for his first-ever Rallycross event.
we got him!
@chaseelliott is in for round 5 😈
“I’m really looking forward to racing in Nitro RX at the season finale in Florida,” Elliott said in a statement, per DirtFish. “I enjoy the challenge of trying out other forms of racing and have recently taken up dirt racing, so getting in a rallycross car is really appealing. Nitro RX is thrilling to watch and from what Travis Pastrana and some of the other drivers have told me, it is just as thrilling to be behind the wheel. I can’t wait.”
Kyle Busch Set a High Bar During His Nitro Rallycross Debut
As the second Cup Series champion to take on Nitro Rallycross, Elliott will immediately face raised expectations. The reason is that Busch set a high bar when he made his Nitro Rallycross debut at Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park on November 13-14.
The two-time champion dealt with a steep learning curve early in the weekend, but he put in considerable time and effort trying to make strides. Busch worked with Subaru driver Scott Speed — a former teammate at Toyota — while studying the data, and he made multiple runs during practice on Friday, November 12, to gain extra experience.
The efforts, as well as some mechanical issues on other teams, resulted in Busch nearly reaching the podium. He made his way to the finale and finished fourth overall behind Pastrana (winner), Timmy Hansen, and Speed, capping off a successful start to the offseason. Now Elliott will follow in his footsteps.
Elliott Continues To Add Races to His Offseason Schedule
Thanks for having me @pvillespeedway
Onto Merced #di9
An accomplished racer with seven victories at road courses and 13 overall in the Cup Series, Elliott continues to expand his schedule with the trip to Florida. He will climb into the purpose-built supercar only weeks removed from battling reigning Cup Series champion Kyle Larson and several other talented drivers in Placerville, Cali.
Elliott tested his driving skills with two nights of action at the northern California track. He climbed into the No. 9 USAC Midget racer and gained critical experience at a place where he had never competed.
According to NASCAR’s Zack Albert, Elliott explained that he respects the different racing disciplines and that he can learn some “good habits” during the races. He added that it’s harder to learn new things as you get older, so he is making an effort now.
Taking on the Nitro Rallycross will only help Elliott gain more skills that he can implement during future races. The supercars are vastly different than the Midget racer that he drove in northern California, as well as the Cup Series cars where he has achieved considerable success. He will have to figure out how to successfully maneuver them around the specially built tracks that feature sharp corners and massive jumps.
“Chase is bar none one of the greatest driving talents in motorsport, and having an elite driver of his caliber opens Nitro RX to a new audience,” Pastrana said in a statement. “Chase joining us for the Florida finale is a great way to close out the 2021 series.”
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Chase Elliott Sets Date for Nitro Rallycross Debut