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Chase Elliott ends inaugural SRX season with Nashville win, founder Tony Stewart takes title

The inaugural Camping World SRX Series season came to a close on Saturday at the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. In front of what was reported as the historic track’s largest crowd since 1970, reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Chase Elliott battled father Bill Elliott for the win. As the younger Elliott celebrated his victory, SRX co-founder Tony Stewart finished runner-up to claim the championship.

Heat races

The Elliotts comprised the first row of twelve, with Chase being in the multi-driver ringer car, for the first heat. Bill dominated the heat to the finish, while Chase kept Bobby Labonte at bay to take second.

After finishing last in Heat #1, Willy T. Ribbs started on the pole for the second, though Michael Waltrip quickly took the lead. Hélio Castroneves became the leader shortly before the competition caution with seven minutes left for running too long under green. By the end of the heat, Castroneves took the win.

Stewart finished fifth in both heats, which was enough to clinch him the championship.

Heat #1 results

FinishNumberDriverLaps
19Bill Elliott25
294Chase Elliott25
318Bobby Labonte25
498Marco Andretti25
514Tony Stewart25
648Tony Kanaan25
72Ernie Francis Jr.25
813Paul Tracy25
93Hélio Castroneves25
101Hailie Deegan25
1115Michael Waltrip25
1217Willy T. Ribbs25

Heat #2 results

FinishNumberDriverLaps
13Hélio Castroneves24
22Ernie Francis Jr.24
313Paul Tracy24
418Bobby Labonte24
514Tony Stewart24
69Bill Elliott24
748Tony Kanaan24
894Chase Elliott24
915Michael Waltrip24
1098Marco Andretti24
111Hailie Deegan24
1217Willy T. Ribbs24

Feature

Bill Elliott and Labonte, both well familiar with each other as fellow ex-Cup champions and regulars in the 1990s and 2000s, made up the front row to start the feature. The former led until the first caution came on lap 26 after hitting the green flag limit. Chase caught his dad during the ensuing run before another flag for the same reason came on lap 50.

Chase would take the lead before Ribbs produced the lone race-related yellow flag of the race after wrecking on lap 56, ending his night. Elliott and Stewart led the field to the restart with seventeen laps to go, and Elliott kept the spot until another green-flag limit caution came with seven laps left. Two laps following the restart, Marco Andretti spun two laps after contact from Paul Tracy.

The Andretti spin resulted in a five-lap run to the finish that saw Elliott hold off Stewart to win. Bill finished third to join his son and the series founder on the podium.

Feature results

FinishNumberDriverLaps
194Chase Elliott77
214Tony Stewart77
39Bill Elliott77
418Bobby Labonte77
513Paul Tracy77
62Ernie Francis Jr.77
715Michael Waltrip77
848Tony Kanaan77
93Hélio Castroneves77
101Hailie Deegan77
1198Marco Andretti77
1217Willy T. Ribbs56

Season recap

RaceTrackWinner
1Stafford SpeedwayDoug Coby
2Knoxville RacewayTony Stewart
3Eldora SpeedwayTony Stewart
4Lucas Oil RacewayErnie Francis Jr.
5Slinger SpeedwayMarco Andretti

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