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Unstoppable Force: Elliott Brings Home Third Flake; 17-Year-Old Thornton Claims Pro Trucks Derby Crown

By Chuck Corder

OK, now Chase Elliott simply isn’t playing well with others.

Even when he errs (or at least when he believes he errs) — Elliott still gets to stand on the doorframe of his No. 9 late model with a 1,000-watt smile and celebrate with a fist pump and a lengthy exhale.

Those that continue to watch the young prince of Five Flags Speedway promenade his way around the famed half-mile oval so smoothly and effortlessly are running out of superlatives to describe Elliott’s accomplishments.

The 18 year old from Dawsonville, Ga., and offspring of NASCAR icon “Million Dollar� Bill Elliott, rewrote the record books Friday with another Snowflake 100 victory.

“I thought I made a mistake,� admitted the younger Elliott, who has yet to lose in his Pro Late Model ride this year. “I didn’t expect the race to go green as long as it did. Fortunately, we had enough tires and the setup was there.�

Elliott became the first driver in Snowflake 100 history to hoist three checkered flags and to win in back-to-back years.

He led a total of 17 laps Saturday, pulling away from John Hunter Nemechek on Lap 94.

“It means a lot,� Elliott said of the running tally. “Again, it shows the quality of the guys around me. It’s been five years of late model racing and you don’t see a single new face in our crew and I think that says a lot.�

Nemechek, yet another son to one of NASCAR’s more popular personalities (Joe Nemechek), led 31 revolutions before becoming an Elliott victim.

Pensacola’s Johanna Long came home 15th.

“It was definitely a learning experience,� said Nemechek, who made the Snowflake 100 his first career PLM race. “We went too early and Chase waited to go hard. I messed up a bit there at the end.�

Earlier in the race, it was Elliott questioning decisions.

Starting on the pole after collecting his second track record (16.303) of the weekend, Elliott slipped out of the top five 25 laps into the race.

“I would’ve gone about it in a different way, and not given up so much track position,� he said. “It was almost too much.�

Justin South, who eventually finished third, took kindly to the clean air and led 52 laps before drivers began jockeying for the lead.

One of those was Elliott, who timed his move exactly at the halfway point. He began stalking Augie Grill, himself a two-time ’Flake and Derby champion, around Lap 50 to climb back to fifth.

Then he picked off was Hunter Robbins, the youngest ’Flake champion a few years back. Next Mike Garvey, whose resume hypnotizes with NASCAR seat time, crumbled under the intense pressure.

Elliott was on the prowl and put South squarely and quickly in the crosshairs. He had vaulted to second by Lap 74.

Elliott had just one car left to wedge into his vice.

The 16-year-old Nemechek courageously minded the gap for a moment, but became the final domino to fall down the stretch.

Elliott has now won either a ’Flake (2010, 2012, 2013) or Derby title (2011) the last four Decembers in Pensacola.

Today, he’ll attempt to become the first driver on short-track’s most prestigious and historic weekend to win the ’Flake and the Snowball Derby when the 46th edition of the revered Super Late Model race is run at 2 this afternoon.

“Well, we’re obviously gonna give it our absolute best effort,� Elliott said. “Our goal this weekend was to get both of ’em, and fortunately we were able to get the job done (Saturday). But we still have a big job to do (today).

“I’m confident about it, but at the same time there’s a lotta good cars down here. You don’t wanna be overconfident, but I definitely think we can get the job done if everybody does their job to the best of their abilities.�

If you’re his rivals, how do you solve the 1,000-piece jigsaw puzzle that is Chase Elliott?

He’s holding all the corner pieces.

 

Pro Trucks

Put yourself in Riley Thornton’s shoes.

You’re 17 years old. You’ve never seen the abrasive and unforgiving track of Five Flags Speedway up close and in person.

You’re a dirt late model driver by trade. It has been months since you’ve since an asphalt track.

Seemingly, Thornton’s bar had to be set pretty low.

But, dadgum it if the teenager looked like a well-polished and well-versed veteran in winning the Pro Trucks Snowball Derby 50 lapper Saturday night in Pensacola.

“I didn’t have high expectations,� the Peachtree City, Ga., native said. It’d being our first time, a top five would’ve been an accomplishment for me. To win, it’s unbelievable.�

Thornton did it by deftly navigating past then-leader Eric Wallace with five laps to go and pulling away from Wallace and third-place finisher Colt James.

“I don’t usually get a chance to get to race,� said Wallace, a member of the Roush Fenway Racing family who was all smiles thanks to being behind the wheel for a change.

The shaggy-haired Thornton began beatin’ his No. 21 on the left side of James’ No. 4 on Lap 38, trying to crowbar his way to second.

It worked and taking a page out of the Chase Elliott or Bubba Pollard or Augie Grill books, Thornton began biding his time before getting to Wallace’s bumper with eight remainin.

Thornton saved his stuff masterfully, a lesson many an experienced driver at America’s Favorite Home Track could learn from.

He peaked underneath several times only to watch Wallace pinch him down. Thornton would simply reset and patiently wait for his next opportunity.

On Lap 46, Wallace and Thornton were side by side for the lead coming out of Turn 2.

“My spotter (Robert Adamson) coached me on when to go. And it helped a lot to have him in my ear. I owe it all to him.�

Rick Pollaro’s fast time (18.467) in qualifying notched yet another track record during a Snowball Derby weekend that has seen the history books get rewritten, erased, than rewritten again.

Pollaro, though, couldn’t maintain his time trials effort. He had a roller coaster night, falling to sixth in the opening 25 laps only to rally and soar back into the top five.

But going into Turn 1 on Lap 33, Pollaro spun and collected Okie Mason and an additional truck. The entire right side of Mason’s No. 51 looked like a slice of Swiss cheese. The number could barely been seen.

Mason continued to come to the pits as his crew members just began ripping off huge scraps of metal. Half of the truck was gone once he ascended back on the track.

But Mason, who miraculously won the Super Stocks Snowball Derby on Friday night, couldn’t channel some more magic Saturday and was ultimately a part of a five-truck fracas in Turn 2.

With Matt Vassar spinning courtesy of Howard Langham and coming to rest in the middle of the track, Mason had no time to check up and plowed directly into Vassar.

“I don’t know what happened to get us turned around,� Vassar said. “But I don’t know why if we’re sitting in the middle of the track you don’t use your brakes.�

Mason, feeling threatened that Vassar was partially pointing the finger at him, approached Vassar’s door before security was radioed in.

“It’s aggravating, but I better not say something,� Mason said, practicing that discretion is often the better part of valor.

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