Chase Elliott will return to Protect Your Melon – Buckle Up SpeedFest on January 17-18.
Off season over, excited to be back behind the wheel. Let’s get it! ?? pic.twitter.com/yt1w7sgZM3
— Chase Elliott (@chaseelliott) January 8, 2025
Elliott, who drives the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series, is a six-time SpeedFest winner. Elliott won the Super Late Model feature in the event in 2011, 2014 and 2015. He won the SpeedFest Pro Late Model contest three times in a row between 2011 and 2013.
Elliott, who last competed in SpeedFest in 2023, returns to SpeedFest with the Fr8 Racing team. In 2023, Elliott finished 19th in the SpeedFest Super Late Model contest after being involved in an accident 20 laps shy of the finish.
Elliott joins an already promising list of confirmed entries ahead of the Late Model showcase, including World Crown 300 winner Michael Hinde, two-time Oxford 250 winner Cole Butcher and fellow Georgia driver Hudson Bulger. Many more drivers are expected to be announced in the coming days, adding to the roster for one of the first big Super Late Model events each year.
It has also previously been announced that fellow NASCAR Cup Series star Ross Chastain will again compete at SpeedFest. Last year, Chastain finished second to Stephen Nasse in a thrilling Pro Late Model event.
While Elliott was not at SpeedFest one year ago, the Fr8 Racing team enjoyed success in their last visit to Cordele in Super Late Model competition. Seth Christensen finished fifth in the Fr8 Racing No. 45 at the World Crown 300 last October.
Georgia drivers have held the upper hand thus far in the 2020s at SpeedFest. Corey Heim won the 2020 edition of the event. Bubba Pollard won the next three SpeedFest Super Late Model features, a streak he carries into the 2025 after finishing ahead of Nasse and Casey Roderick one year ago.
Click here to purchase tickets for Protect Your Melon – Buckle Up SpeedFest.
-Photo credit: Will Bellamy, Racing America
