Chase Elliott hurts his leg while snowboarding
The No. 9 Chevrolet will be driven by Josh Berry instead of Elliott on Sunday.
During a snowboarding accident in Colorado on Friday, Chase Elliott injured his left leg and will miss this weekend’s NASCAR race.
Team owner Rick Hendrick did not immediately respond to a request for more information about Elliott’s condition and the accident by The Associated Press.
The No. 9 Chevrolet will be driven by Josh Berry in place of Elliott on Sunday. “Chase’s health is our primary concern,” Hendrick said. “He’s spoken with several members of our team and understandably disappointed that he won’t be able to drive on Sunday. We’ll offer him any resources he needs.”
This weekend, Hendrick hopes to provide an update on Elliott.
Second-generation NASCAR driver Elliott is the son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott. He has been voted NASCAR’s most popular driver five times.
In the season-opening Daytona 500, Elliott finished runner-up to Kyle Busch.
Berry is a two-time Xfinity series winner at Las Vegas and is defending Xfinity champion. Berry will also race for Hendrick affiliate JR Motorsports this Saturday.
Hendrick signed Elliott to a developmental deal when he was 14 years old, making him one of NASCAR’s rare true stars.
NASCAR’s true superstar: Elliott
As a bona fide elite racer, he won the Cup title in 2020. The 27-year-old has 18 career Cup victories and has advanced to the championship finale the last three years.
Hendrick drastically changed his stance on extracurricular activities following the injury, believing his drivers could not race in other series or engage in daredevil activities for fear of injury.
Then he made a complete U-turn after signing Kyle Larson for 2021. Larson runs at small tracks across the country and persuaded Hendrick not to force him to retire.
As a matter of fact, Hendrick is partnering with McLaren and Chevrolet to enter Larson in the Indianapolis 500. The deal was announced for 2024, but the AP has learned it covers both 2024 and 2025.
As part of a special NASCAR project, Hendrick will attend the 24 Hours of Le Mans in June as part of a special project. He also entered a car in the IMSA endurance racing series for the past two years. As a contender for the historic entry, Elliott has always said he won’t miss a Cup race because NASCAR has a conflicting race weekend.
Elliott has accepted Hendrick’s offer to race other events after Hendrick’s position opened.
