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Elliotts, Burtons make it family affair at track

By The Associated Press
Posted 8:02PM on Wednesday 12th June 2013 ( 11 years ago )
Jeb Burton and Chase Elliott could have saved a stamp.

Turned out, the best spot to send Father's Day cards in auto racing these days is Victory Lane.

Burton, the 20-year-old son of 2002 Daytona 500 winner Ward, raced to his first NASCAR Truck Series victory Friday night at Texas Motor Speedway. Elliott, the 17-year-old son of 1988 Cup champion Bill, followed the next day with a win in the ARCA Racing Series at Pocono Raceway.

Like fathers, like sons.

Bill Elliott won five times at Pocono in the Cup series. He was all smiles as he joined Chase at the podium to celebrate the special win.

"I autographed a picture from the last time I was in Victory Lane here in `02 and Chase was about this big," Elliott said, holding his hand about waist high. "Now, 10 years later, here he is in Victory Lane himself in an ARCA car. He did a great job."

Elliott and Burton won shortly after they were selected for this season's NASCAR Next program. NASCAR Next, formerly known as Next9, highlights drivers between the ages of 15 and 24 who might one day star at the Nationwide or Sprint Cup level.

When Burton took the checkered flag, his father, who was spotting him from high above the high-banked, 1 1/2-mile track, told his son to do the burnouts he had always wanted to do.

"This is the most special moment in motorsports I've ever experienced, and I know it is for my family, too," Ward Burton said. "This is huge. I can't begin to tell you the trials and travails and all the sacrifices we've all made. I didn't have the financial resources to give Jeb the kind of motorsports experience background that a lot of these guys have. He's just driving off of pure raw talent. He doesn't have the experience."

That was hard to tell at Texas.

Elliott became the youngest ARCA winner ever. He took advantage of an ARCA Racing Series rule change that allows 17-year-olds to drive at both Pocono Raceway and Kentucky Speedway this year as long as they complete a test and meet other requirements by the series.

He also drives in the NASCAR Truck Series, though because of his age is only allowed to compete at tracks no longer than a mile. He has two top-fives in three series races.

Elliott, who signed a developmental deal with Hendrick Motorsports, leans on his father for advice and the two exchanged notes after last week's test at Pocono. Winning at a track where his dad, one of NASCAR's most popular drivers, had so much success meant even more to him.

"I'm always used to coming and hanging out and watching dad race," he said. "For me to have an opportunity to race here at Pocono means a lot, much less go to Victory Lane. I knew it would mean a lot if we could do it and we were fortunate everything worked out."

Burton, nephew of current Sprint Cup driver Jeff, already had three poles and four top-10 finishes in his six races this year.

"It's a relief," said Burton, the youngest driver to win a truck race at Texas.

Elliott has only a handful of Truck races left this season. He can expect his dad to be there every mile along the way.

"It's a dream come true for me," Bill Elliott said. "He's done a good job in everything he's raced in. He's won at a lot of different things and this is just kind of another era. I try not to get upset one way or another. I've been through this sport since the `70's and I've seen every side of the world you can see."

There's no better view than his son celebrating in Victory Lane.
FILE - In this June 8, 2013 file photo, Chase Elliott, left, poses in Victory Lane with his father, former NASCAR driver Bill Elliott, after winning the ARCA racing series Pocono ARCA 200 auto race in Long Pond, Pa. Like fathers, like sons. (AP Photo

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