NASCAR driver Chase Elliott underwent successful surgery on his left leg on Friday night, only hours after he was injured in a skiing accident in Colorado. He will not be in Las Vegas for the NASCAR event this weekend.
Elliott is “barely out of surgery,” according to team owner Rick Hendrick, who spoke to The Associated Press. Hendrick did not elaborate on Elliott’s condition or the nature of the mishap. In addition to Elliott being NASCAR’s most well-liked driver, Hendrick owns the most successful cars.
Josh Berry will drive the No. 9 Chevrolet on Sunday in place of Elliott.
Elliott will require a waiver from NASCAR in order to participate in the playoffs this season. Many drivers have been given waivers by NASCAR for various health and personal reasons.
Hendrick emphasised the importance of Elliott’s health by saying, “Chase’s health is our major concern,” just before the operation. Several of our staff members have spoken with him, and he expresses their sympathies for having to miss time in the car. Naturally, we’ll back him up 100% and give him anything he requires.
Elliott is the son of NASCAR legend and hall of famer Bill Elliott, making him a second-generation race car driver. The NASCAR fans have picked the Georgian five times as their favourite driver.
Last week at Fontana, California, Kyle Busch won, but Elliott finished second. In the season-opening Daytona 500, he was involved in a wreck.
As the third race of the year, Las Vegas is a major event. Berry is the defending Xfinity series champion and a two-time winner at Las Vegas. On Saturday, Berry will compete for JR Motorsports, a Hendrick team.
Elliott, who was signed to a developmental deal by Hendrick when he was just 14 years old, is one of the few remaining true superstars in NASCAR.
He reached his full potential as a racer, and by 2020 he had won the Cup. The 27-year-old has made it to the championship finals for the past three years in a row, and he now has 18 career Cup triumphs.
Hendrick’s injury came after he’d just changed his mind about participating in extracurricular sports. He was adamant that his drivers couldn’t participate in risky stunts or race in other series.
After he signed Kyle Larson for the 2021 season, though, he abruptly changed his mind. Larson has convinced Hendrick not to force him to retire because he races at tiny tracks across the country.
Indeed, Hendrick is teaming up with McLaren and Chevy to enter Larson in the Indy 500. The Associated Press has learned that while the pact was initially announced for 2024, it is actually a two-year contract that also covers the 2025 race.
Hendrick has participated in the IMSA sports car series endurance races for the past two years, and this June, as part of a special partnership with NASCAR, the team will travel to the 24 Hours of Le Mans. There was speculation that Elliott would be a prime candidate for the historic entry’s driver’s position, but the race weekend conflicts with NASCAR’s, and Elliott has consistently stated that he will not miss a Cup race.
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