By Caleb Whisler, Staff Writer
Chase Elliott showcased his talent at Martinsville Speedway Sunday but fell short by finishing second to Brad Keselowski.
Elliott started the STP 500 from the seventh position and was able to stay at the front of the field for the entire duration of the race. He finished second in the first stage and finished fourth in the second stage.
On Lap 325, Elliott was able to pass Keselowski on the backstretch to obtain the race lead for 49 laps. Despite losing the race lead, Elliott stayed in the top-5.
In the closing laps of the race, Elliott tried to work his way back to the bumper of the No. 2 but ultimately ran out of laps to do so. After the race, Elliott did not know what he needed to catch the leader.
“I don’t know, Elliott said. “It was really tough. Our NAPA Camaro was good. I felt like we were about as even with him as we could be. When I did get the lead, I felt like there was a little advantage to being out front and being able to work traffic your way and play off it and whatnot. But, yeah, I tried to move up there at the end and I don’t know if I could have got to him. Maybe if I moved up a little sooner, maybe. But, I tried to get to him there in (Turn) 3, but maybe next time.”
With his second-place finish, Elliott sits ninth in the points standings going into Texas Motor Speedway next weekend.