DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - NASCAR has approved a pair of high-profile 18-year-old drivers for speedway racing.
The sanctioning body gave the nod to Chase Elliott and Dylan Kwasniewski following their runs in the ARCA race Saturday.
Elliott finished ninth in the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, five spots ahead of pole-sitter Kwasniewski. Both were running and on the lead lap at the end of the 80-lap race.
The youngsters were required to drive the ARCA race at Daytona to gain speedway clearance. Proving they can handle fast speeds, high banks and lots of traffic, they were given the green light for the Nationwide Series opener at Daytona next Saturday.
Elliott is the son of semi-retired NASCAR star Bill Elliott. Kwasniewski won the K&N Pro Series West in 2012 and won the K&N Pro Series East last year.
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