Instead of packing up and heading to the next stop on the schedule, Elliott gets one more chance to leave the iconic track a winner before driving south to Homestead. Few are betting against him Sunday when drivers move from the speedway’s 2.5-mile oval to the 14-turn, 3.61-mile road course for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 253, scheduled to be broadcast at 3 p.m. on Fox.
Elliott’s win during NASCAR’s inaugural 253-miler last August was his fourth of five straight wins on road layouts entering Sunday’s race.
Beyond Elliott’s considerable driving skills, his formula for success very well could be an embrace of variety in a sport long confined to racing on ovals.