Martinsville, Va. – Chase Elliott will return to the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in the April 16 NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway after recovering from a leg injury.
Elliott, 27, suffered a fractured tibia while snowboarding on March 3 and underwent successful surgery at The Steadman Clinic, a U.S. Olympic National Medical Center in Vail, Colorado. The 2020 Cup Series champion rehabilitated in Colorado before returning to his home in Dawsonville, Georgia, in late March to continue physical therapy.
After being medically cleared Tuesday, Elliott tested Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning in the Chevrolet Driver-in-the-Loop simulator in Concord, North Carolina, before making the final decision to return to Martinsville.
”We’re looking forward to having Chase back in his race car to pick up where he left off,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “Since the injury, he’s worked extremely hard and focused all his time and energy on returning to the No. 9 team. Throughout the last six weeks, he’s stayed fully engaged with everything we’re doing, and we know he’s chomping at the bit to get on the racetrack and compete for wins.”
Josh Berry has filled in for Elliott in five of the last six Cup Series events with a best finish of second, which came at Richmond Raceway. Jordan Taylor drove the No. 9 Chevrolet at Circuit of The Americas, starting fourth and finishing 24th in his Cup debut.
”Having such high-caliber drivers available was a huge benefit, especially under difficult circumstances,” said Jeff Andrews, president and general manager of Hendrick Motorsports. “Josh and Jordan each brought a tremendous amount of professionalism to our team, and we’re truly grateful for their contributions. Their preparation and talent made a big difference. We can’t overstate it.”
Hendrick Motorsports has received a waiver from NASCAR to allow Elliott to be eligible for the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.