Talking the business of sports
Throughout his racing career, the expectations surrounding Marco Andretti have been enormous, and the weight of them increasingly beared down on the third-generation racer as he tried to reach the same category as his grandfather Mario and his father Michael. But finally, Marco Andretti can stand alongside his famous grandfather and accomplished father, as he is a champion himself.
In the Camping World SRX Series season finale at Sharon Speedway, Chase Elliott was able to drive past Tony Stewart in the final laps and then hold him off to earn his second SRX win in as many races in the series. But behind Elliott, the race for the championship turned into a battle of attrition, as a series of late-race accidents left Marco Andretti having to get his car repaired and drive back up through the field just enough to earn the 2022 SRX Championship by two points over Ryan Newman.
Andretti's SRX championship is the first championship for the Andretti family since Michael Andretti won the CART IndyCar World Series Championship all the way back in 1991. Though he did not score a victory in the six SRX races this season, Andretti was able to win the title by virtue of his performances in the heats as well as several runner-up finishes throughout the season.
In the first half of Saturday night's race, it looked as though the race for the championship would take place at the front of the field, with Andretti trying to run down title rival Ryan Newman while Bobby Labonte put himself in the picture as well. Then, on a Lap 32 restart, everything changed.
Jaw-dropping moments only 🤯 @SRXracing pic.twitter.com/IEfGJOL5gs
Andretti attempted a three-wide divebomb for the lead entering Turn 1 that went poorly, as it spun Newman around and caused major right front fender damage to Andretti's car. After pulling off to the pits to get his car repaired, Andretti was making his way back through the field when he got collected in a crash involving Ryan Hunter-Reay, Dave Blaney and Newman again.
Andretti pulled off to get his damage repaired once again, then drove up to ninth by the checkered flag despite sustaining some physical damage of his own.
"I broke my wrist in that last little thing. I got my thumb caught in the wheel. So that was a painful last couple of laps," Andretti told CBS Sports. "But I just wanted to cover and finish right where I needed to finish, and we were able to do that. This thing was pretty robust tonight."
As Andretti had to grit it out just to finish the race, Elliott used the outside line to make his way around Stewart and then drove away from one of his old racing heroes in the final laps to win the SRX finale for the second year in a row.
"To sit there and race on dirt with one of my heroes there in Tony Stewart and throw a couple sliders with him (means the most)," Elliott told CBS Sports. "Obviously this a little different than the open-wheel stuff -- but just knowing how good he is at this stuff and being able to dice it up and race with him ... I actually thought he was better than me that run before, and then I was able to watch him on the top and finally get a couple things going there."
Elliott was one of two NASCAR Cup Series interlopers in the field, as Ryan Blaney also made the trip from nearby Pocono Raceway to compete on the Hartford Township, Ohio dirt track owned by his family and father Dave Blaney. Despite crashing early in the first Heat -- knocking him out until the main event -- Ryan was able to win the Battle of the Blaneys by finishing seventh after his father got involved in a late-race crash.
Elliott's win and Andretti's championship wraps up the 2022 Camping World SRX Series season, which saw five different winners across six races. Tony Stewart led the series in wins, taking the checkered flag both at South Boston on asphalt and at I-55 on dirt. While NASCAR drivers like Stewart, Elliott, Newman and Labonte won four out of five races, Andretti was able to take the championship for the series' IndyCar contingent, which also enjoyed a win by Helio Castroneves in the season opener at Five Flags Speedway.
While most of the SRX field will go back to their day jobs -- whether that's racing, farm work or beer brewing -- Chase Elliott and Ryan Blaney will head back to Pocono for tomorrow's M&M's Fan Appreciation 400, as they resume their pursuit of a NASCAR Cup Series championship.
Chase Elliott goes two-for-two in SRX competition and wins the season finale at Sharon Speedway!
Further back in the field, Marco Andretti has won the 2022 SRX Championship with a ninth-place finish!
1 - #9 - Chase Elliott 2 - #14 - Tony Stewart 3 - #5 - Matt Kenseth 4 - #1 - Ryan Hunter-Reay 5 - #18 - Bobby Labonte 6 - #69 - Greg Biffle 7 - #12 - Ryan Blaney 8 - #39 - Ryan Newman 9 - #98 - Marco Andretti 10 - #3 - Paul Tracy 11 - #6 - Tony Kanaan 12 - #10 - Dave Blaney 13 - #15 - Michael Waltrip
Chase Elliott got to go head-to-head with his hero, Tony Stewart, but ultimately came out on top as the @SRXracing main event champion in the last race of the season 🏆 pic.twitter.com/11PwmgzHKH
"I broke my wrist in that last little thing, I got my thumb caught in the wheel. It was a painful last couple laps." —2022 @SRXracing Points Champion @MarcoAndretti pic.twitter.com/F3G9LzYtBR
Your 2022 @SRXracing Points Champion: @MarcoAndretti 🏆 pic.twitter.com/JfBXi3Syw5
CHASE ELLIOTT WINS @SRXracing's FINAL MAIN EVENT OF THE SEASON 🏆 pic.twitter.com/r24Wwn4AoX
Matt Kenseth now challenging for second as Elliott pulls away. White flag.
Stewart trying to mount a charge back on Elliott. Three to go. Elliott now moves to the inside while Stewart looks outside.
Coming to two to go now.
Elliott completes the pass on the high side and takes the lead from Stewart for the time being. Five to go.
Side-by-side between Elliott and Stewart. Coming to five to go.
Green flag back out once again. Elliott still trying to use the high side as Stewart inches ahead.
Marco Andretti has now come out of the pits and back onto the racetrack. He now joins the tail end of the field for this next restart.
Dave Blaney got into and spun Ryan Hunter-Reay out, and Andretti hit Blaney before Newman hit Hunter-Reay. Andretti's car is right back in the pit area to get his right front fixed again.
Green flag is out again. Tony Stewart tries to pull the slidejob, but Elliott gives it right back to him!
Another crash, and Ryan Newman is in it again! Ryan Hunter-Reay spun out and it looks like both Newman and Andretti got a big piece of it.
We have now hit the point in the Main Event where time limits have come into effect. Given that, there are now nine laps to go.
And now a caution: Tony Kanaan has spun, which brings out the caution.
Chase Elliott now back to the outside around Stewart, but he jumps the cushion and loses ground!
Pretty sure I heard Tony yell “SEND IT” from the infield and HE DO BE SENDIN’ IT.#CampingWorldSRX
Jaw-dropping moments only 🤯 @SRXracing pic.twitter.com/IEfGJOL5gs
Jaw dropping moments only 🤯 @SRXracing pic.twitter.com/FevKtv9xJc
Green flag is back out, and look who's taken advantage of what happened on that last restart: Here comes Tony Stewart on the outside line to challenge Chase Elliott for the lead.
Elliott moves to the high side to run a defensive line. Now, Stewart puts a slidejob on Elliott and takes the lead!
Marco Andretti has gone back to the pits to get his damage fixed. The right front damage was enough that it actually locked his right front tire up.
Newman is still on track and back in 11th. Massive implications for the title as Bobby Labonte was able to emerge from that fracas scot-free and runs second.
Tony Stewart is down for an interview, even in the middle of the @SRXracing main event 🤣 "He's like a Sunday drive, nothing's going on." pic.twitter.com/PT0nAnDuVQ
Andretti tried to force it into Turn 1 on the inside of Newman and Elliott and pretty much drove right through him. Looks like Newman went for a harmless spin while Andretti suffered right front damage and also got into the wall pretty solidly.
Green flag is out again. Nearly halfway through the Main Event AND ANDRETTI TURNS NEWMAN!
Caution is out for debris in Turn 2. Something metal.
Green flag is back out with 40 laps to go.
Marco Andretti gets a fantastic restart and it's going to put him firmly in the race for the lead. Elliott and Newman side-by-side for the top spot.
Ryan Newman has begun to close the gap on Chase Elliott. That 1.13 second gap was cut in half as the caution is out for a car stalled in Turn 3. It's Dave Blaney. Right front tire down.
At the front, Chase Elliott has opened up a 1.13 second lead on Ryan Newman. Newman, Labonte, and Andretti all running 2-3-4.
Don't look now, but here comes Tony Stewart. He's found something on the outside line and is making time.
CLOSE call by Michael Waltrip, who got way sideways off Turn 4. Nice save.
Green flag is back out. A good restart by Chase Elliott, who's able to hang with Newman on the outside and take the lead.
Nice job on this restart by Ryan Blaney, who's moved up to eighth running way up on the cushion.
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