Chase Elliott will make a comeback to the wheel of the #9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet on Sunday, April 16 at Martinsville Speedway after missing the previous six NASCAR Cup Series events due to injuries.
Since breaking his tibia while snowboarding on the West Coast swing, Chase Elliott has been unfit to drive the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro but now he is set to make a comeback to racing.
Elliott received the go-ahead from his doctor to rejoin the NASCAR Cup Series on April 11, according to a statement from Hendrick Motorsports. After spending some time in the Chevrolet simulator, he decided to come back for the NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway.
In early March, just days before the third race of the year at Las Vegas, Elliott shattered his tibia in a snowboarding accident in Colorado.
JR Motorsports driver Josh Berry, whose team is a partner to Hendrick Motorsports Xfinity Series team, took over the #9 for Elliott’s five oval races and finished in the top ten twice, including at Richmond where he finished second.
Elliott had surgery at The Steadman Clinic in Vail, Colorado, and then travelled back to Dawsonville, Georgia, where he continued his recovery. He chose to race in Martinsville after receiving NASCAR’s medical approval to compete on Tuesday.
Many had anticipated his return at Talladega Superspeedway on April 23 or Dover Motor Speedway the following week based on his six to eight-week recovery plan.
“We’re looking forward to having Chase back in his race car to pick up where he left off,” said team owner Rick Hendrick.
“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.”
Elliott has been granted a waiver so that he make the playoffs bu any chance if he qualifies. The requirement that playoff drivers finish in the top thirty in points has been lifted by NASCAR, therefore all he needs to do to qualify is win a race.
He was fourteenth at the time of his injury after two races, including a runner-up finish in his most recent outing at Fontana, but is currently thirty-eighth in the standings as a result of his absence.
