Following Eddie D’Hondt’s indefinite suspension from NASCAR earlier this week, Elliott and the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports team were faced with finding a quick-turn replacement in time for the Charlotte Motor Speedway race weekend.
For Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600, Elliott elected to keep it in the family, choosing cousin Trey Poole as his replacement (6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
“He’s been around our team for a long time,” Elliott said Friday night after NASCAR Cup Series practice. “Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) likes how he goes about spotting in the road-course races that he’s done. Having some history racing I think is a good thing in a spotter to have. It’s just different being in the car versus just watching, so he has some experience. He’s been watching this stuff forever, so he knows how it works.”
Poole has raced Legend cars in the past and has spent several years assisting the team on road courses where more than one spotter is required. Elliott has won each of the five races in which Poole has contributed as an additional set of eyes.
It was only a passing notion for Elliott to ask his father, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bill Elliott, to fill the void. But, due to other obligations and doubts he would even want to accept the job, Elliott decided to go the Poole route.
Poole has already competed in one race this weekend, spotting for Austin Hill and the No. 16 Hattori Racing squad in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Friday night. Hill earned a ninth-place finish.
Elliott was delighted to see Poole complete a full race at Charlotte before taking over the driver’s seat on Sunday night, and he had intended to speak with Poole after the Truck Series race to prepare.
“The biggest things are helping me with the things I can’t see,” Elliott said. “That I’m not hearing or I can’t figure out on my own. A lot of a spotting job is just keeping the logistics in order throughout a race. When pit road opens. When we’re coming to one to go. The timing of all that stuff is important.”
Despite the fact that this isn’t Poole’s first Cup Series appearance, Elliott admits it will be a different experience for him. However, their relationship puts them one step ahead of the competition.
“Obviously, he knows me very well,” Elliott said. “He just fits into our group and he knows everybody. That goes a long way when you’re trying to fill a role quickly like that.
“He doesn’t have to talk much to do a good job and I think that’s the bottom line.”
Visit the websites listed below to purchase Nascar apparel:
