Slack Auto Parts 150 provides chance to see NASCAR up-and-comers

JEFFERSON -- Every sports fan likes to watch a superstar from the stands or the comfort of his recliner and say, "I knew him when..."

This Saturday at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, area racing fans will have the chance to rub elbows with some of the sport's young hopefuls when the track hosts the Slack Auto Parts 150 -- a NASCAR K&N Pro Series East event.

"This race gives the fans lots of opportunities to interact with the drivers; it really takes NASCAR back to its roots," Gresham PR/Media director Sheena Elliott said. "Fans can make a connection with a driver as he moves up and really feel like they know the driver."

In what amounts to the minor leagues of NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, the K&N Pro Series features some of the sport's most talented young drivers, including Dawsonville's Chase Elliott.

Elliott -- who holds a 16-point lead in the K&N Pro Series East standings at the midway point of the season -- is just one of a budding handful of drivers with eyes on NASCAR's top circuit. To get there, he and other competitors must travel a path blazed by such current NASCAR standouts as Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin, who also competed in K&N Pro Series.

"This is a jump start for so many young drivers who go on to the (NASCAR) Truck Series and Nationwide Series," Sheena Elliott said. "And it's great for the fans, because the only other place in Georgia where you can watch an official NASCAR event is at Atlanta Motor Speedway."

As a Gresham veteran -- his uncle Dan is also general manager of the track -- Chase Elliott will be looking to continue the strong showings he's had at the track, including four wins and three additional podium finishes. Elliott already claimed the checkered flag at the Beau Slocumb Memorial on April 7 and the Racing Radios 100 on May 2.

Elliott will be far from the only Sprint Cup hopeful competing this weekend, however, and a number of other drivers on the K&N Pro Series have also competed at the Jefferson facility.

Trackside parking, along with the grandstands, will open at 11 a.m. Saturday. Practice sessions will also commence at 11 a.m., with racing set to begin at 6 p.m. (following an autographing session) -- featuring five different divisions. The main event is scheduled for 8:10 p.m.

Tickets cost $30 for general admission, with senior and military discounts going for $25. Children under-12 are admitted free, with a pit pass costing $45 ($40 for seniors and the military).