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Chase Elliott: We Support Big Purse Battle at Berlin

It’s been almost a decade since Chase Elliott has raced at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Michigan and a lot has changed since 2015.

Back then, he was the defending Xfinity Series champion and had just made his Cup Series debut driving a fifth car for Hendrick Motorsports at Martinsville Speedway. He ran up front but ultimately faded late and finished behind Erik Jones and John Hunter Nemechek.

So, really, not that much has changed, after all.

After a lengthy hiatus from Super Late Model racing, Elliott has returned in a big way this summer and has already raced five times in his familiar No. 9 prepared by Ricky Turner and TURNCO Motorsports. And much like his work in progress Cup Series season thus far, Elliott is still looking for his first win and has taken his program to a challenging track in Western Michigan.

“We have been working at it much like the Cup side, just trying to get a little better and trying to get some momentum on that side of things too,” Elliott said over the weekend at Michigan International Speedway. “So, I am looking forward to going to Berlin.

“It’s been a little while since I have been there and I am looking forward to getting back to a really unique and weird short track I have run at a few times.”

He’s been there five times, finishing in the top-five each time, with a best finish of second in this race when it was Kyle Busch’s Rowdy 251 back in 2012. He also finished runner-up in the 2010 Rowdy 251.

For this year, it’s just an easy mid-week race between two Midwestern NASCAR Cup races at Michigan and Indianapolis.

“Looking forward to getting up there, it’s a good show, a good mid-week show and a place that seemingly has a lot of support from the local community that I remember,” Elliott said. “Always great crowds and they put up a nice purse too, which in the asphalt world is a big deal in my opinion.”

It’s $30,000-to-win and a $90,000 overall purse.

“So, I think it’s important for the racers to go and support those shows that put up a lot of money to win, when they do, because it doesn’t happen all the time. I am excited to go and support it and try to get a win.”

The Battle at Berlin is scheduled for Wednesday night. It will air live on FloRacing.

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Matt Weaver is the owner and founder of Short Track Scene. Weaver grew up in the sport, having raced himself before becoming a reporter in college at the University of South Alabama. He also has extensive experience covering NASCAR, IndyCar and Dirt Sprint Cars.

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