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The 2014 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion is making a return while pulling double duty. Chase Elliott will take on Pocono Raceway while driving a HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro.
According to a press release, Elliott will be behind the wheel of the No. 17 Chevrolet on Saturday, July 22 (5:30 p.m. ET on USA Network). He will compete in the Xfinity Series race at the Tricky Triangle for the first time since the 2018 season and he will pull double duty.
Double Duty @PoconoRaceway!
Elliott has only made one Xfinity start at Pocono Raceway in his career. He joined GMS Racing for the event in 2018, and he qualified 10th overall. He went on to finish second behind Kyle Busch after running inside of the top 10 throughout the race.
Elliott Makes His 83rd Career Xfinity Series Start
GettyChase Elliott prepares for a race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The 2020 Cup Series champion has only made 82 career starts in the Xfinity Series. Seven were with GMS Racing while 75 were with JR Motorsports.
This run includes five career wins, 66 top-10 finishes, and 34 top-fives. Most importantly, Elliott won the championship for JR Motorsports.
Elliott’s last start took place during the 2021 season. He drove the No. 1 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports while serving as an injury replacement for Michael Annett, and he went from 25th to fourth while taking on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course for the first time.
Elliott will now return to a track where he has achieved some success in the Cup Series, albeit with a twist. One of his five wins in 2022 took place at the Tricky Triangle. Elliott finished third after leading zero laps, but he became the winner after officials disqualified Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch after a post-race inspection.
This win took place in Elliott’s 13th start at Pocono Raceway. In his previous 12 starts, he scored seven top-10 finishes and three top-fives. A trio of fourth-place finishes (2016, 2019, 2020) stood out as his best runs.
The Race Is an Addition to the Hendrick Motorsports Schedule
GettyChase Elliott practices for an Xfinity Series race at Pocono.
The race was not part of the original Hendrick Motorsports schedule. The original plan was for the No. 17 Chevrolet Camaro to make four starts — three at road courses — while giving its full-time Cup Series drivers opportunities to pursue wins.
The first race took place in the state of Texas. William Byron finished second at Circuit of the Americas behind Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger.
Kyle Larson then finished third at Sonoma Raceway after starting from the pole and sweeping the first two stages. He had the dominant car, but a collision with the tires in Turn 11 opened up the opportunity for Aric Almirola.
Following the trip to Pocono Raceway, Alex Bowman will make his first Xfinity Series start of the season. He will head to Watkins Glen International on August 19. Larson will then make his previously scheduled start at Darlington Raceway on September 2. Larson will go for a season sweep after taking Kaulig Racing’s No. 10 Chevrolet to Victory Lane during Throwback Weekend.
The part-time Xfinity Series effort will continue to have veteran leadership. Crew chiefs Greg Ives and Kevin Meendering oversee the effort while pursuing more wins.
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