(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) As he prepared for one of the hottest races of the NASCAR season, Chase Elliott said he would use positive thinking to convince himself it wasn't so bad.

And when Elliot was frustrated with his struggling Chevrolet in the early stages at Nashville Superspeedway, his crew chief found his driver receptive to a pep talk that helped NASCAR's current Cup points leader win Sunday night's race.

Elliott has never presented himself as an eternal optimist, In fact, his Hall of Fame father Bill Elliott last year told The Associated Press his son "acts like he's loading up the covered wagon heading West instead of doing what he loves."

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