Awesome skill

The short-track racing experts in North Georgia have always held their accolades close to the vest, so it’s a bit out of character for them to suggest that the pool hall in Dawsonville might need to keep its NASCAR victory bell in working order.

Lanier National Speedway general manager Terry Roberts has seen a lot of young drivers, but he points to a 13-year-old as potentially the next great Georgia driver: Chase Elliott.

The son of former NASCAR champion Bill Elliott already is outrunning grownups on short tracks throughout the state.

“[Chase] is probably going to be better than his daddy,” Roberts said. “It wouldn’t be surprising at all to see him in [NASCAR Sprint] Cup one day. In fact, it would be more surprising if he didn’t make it.”

If Chase can stay up with his dad, he would find himself in the sport’s high cotton. Bill Elliott —- with the moniker “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville” —- had a Hall of Fame career, winning 44 races on the sport’s top circuit, including the 1988 NASCAR crown.

When Elliott won on Sundays, owners at the pool hall in Dawsonville rang the bell to alert the North Georgia community.

Bill went into semi-retirement six years ago so he could spend time tutoring his son.

So far, so good.

On a recent Saturday night, Lanier hosted the Georgia Asphalt Series, a touring series featuring some of the South’s best drivers in the Late Model division, short-track racing’s elite category.

Elliott, a rookie in the series, stalked his teammate Casey Roderick for most of the race, then made his bid for the win with three laps to go. He grabbed the lead and secured his first Late Model victory.

The strategy and patience the youngster showed was more like what would be expected from a seasoned veteran, but for Chase it was simply what made the most sense to him and to his dad, who serves as his son’s spotter when he’s not driving the Wood Brothers’ No. 21 Ford in the Sprint Cup Series.

“We both figured that if I got out front too early, I’d wear out my tires staying out front, so we decided to wait until the end and go for it,” Chase said. “I got by [Roderick] getting into Turn 3 with three laps to go.”

Chase, who drives a car that has his father’s familiar No. 9 with sponsorship from Atlanta-based Aaron’s, has finished in the top 10 in all but one start.

Roberts, the track manager, said Chase’s success cannot be credited to his father outspending the competition. Instead, the team is operating with typical Elliott family frugality.

“It’s not a high-budget operation,” Roberts said. “They work hard, and they work hard to get the sponsors they have.”

Chase began racing at age 8. From all indications, the decision to pursue racing was his, with no prodding from his parents.

“I took him to the golf course and got him lessons from the pro,” mom Cindy Elliott said. “I did everything I could to get him interested in baseball or football, but he kept coming back to racing.”

He started in go-karts, then advanced to Bandoleros, which are somewhat like go-karts except they have bodies. Last season, he moved up to Legends, the division that races on Atlanta Motor Speedway’s quarter-mile track. He has won seven championships in the various circuits.

This year he made the jump to Late Models, where he often has to have special permission to race because of his age. Although he has done remarkably well, he acknowledges he has a lot to learn.

“I’m still not 100 percent comfortable, but I’m making progress week-in and week-out,” he said.

Many in the sport, including Roberts, say young Elliott is having success, in large part, because he works on his cars during the week, which gives him a much better understanding of what adjustments need to be made at the race track and what effect on the car those adjustments will have.

“It helps me visualize what they’re doing to the car,” Chase said. “My crew chief, Ricky Turner, will give me some choices of what changes to make, and I can think about what each of them is going to do.”

Bill Elliott has tried to let his son stand on his own and hasn’t bragged about him, at least not publicly.

“He’s done real good,” Elliott said. “We’re just trying to take it as it comes and try not to over-analyze.”

The elder Elliott said his son has advanced to the point where he doesn’t offer many basic tips, even those based on his years of experience.

“One time a few races ago, I told him he should run a little higher on the race track,” he said. “He did it and ran worse, so I just told him to do what he felt like he needed to do.

“Most of the time he gets it figured out.”

The youngster also seems to have figured out how to manage the off-track expectations that come with being a race driver. Roberts said Elliott is good with fans and sponsors and has a strong work ethic. He has to keep his grades up or his parents will park his cars.

“They’ve got their priorities right, and that’s very important,” Roberts said. “Chase is having to earn his way, and that’s the way it should be.”

How can he drive at 13?

To be allowed to race in Late Model events without a driver’s license, 13-year-old Chase Elliott has to submit a form that includes his racing experience to each track where he wants to compete. The record is reviewed by the track’s insurance carrier and its underwriters. “It takes a pretty strong resume to get approved,” said Terry Roberts, manager at Lanier Speedway.

RICK MINTER

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