Local racing historian Gordon Pirkle has a prediction.

"Chase Elliott, he's going to be as big as his dad was in his hay day. I've never seen someone as young as him carry himself and race the way he does," Pirkle said.

Dawsonville's Chase Elliott set the fast time in qualifying (16.609 seconds) and went on to win the World Crown 300 on July 4 at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson.

"I've watched him and I've watched Bill come up, and I've never seen a kid that young who's that mature in a racecar. It's just unreal," Pirkle said. "He's got so much patience and that's what it takes in a racecar."

The 16-year-old's No. 9 Chevrolet led the field to the green flag in all three segments at the half-mile track.

Elliott won the first 150-lap segment, earning himself $4,000. The top 15 drivers were inverted for the start of the second segment and Kyle Benjamin grabbed the lead two laps in.

Elliott carefully picked his way through the field and regained the lead on lap 208.

After winning the second segment and another $6,000, Elliott made a final pit stop while the hard-charging Ryan Blaney stayed on the race track and took over the race lead for the start of the final 50-lap segment.

Elliott took the checkered flag, and the final $10,000 for a total of $20,000, ahead of Bubba Pollard, David Ragan, Austin Theriault and Cale Gale.

"He did a really good job. He drove hard and raced hard," said NASCAR Champion dad Bill Elliott.

Elliott will drive his No. 9 Aaron's Dream Machine/Hendrickcars.com Chevrolet in the July 14 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East event at CNB Bank Raceway Park in Clearfield, Pa.

DCN regional staff contributed to this story.