Chase Elliott fractured the tibia in his left leg after a snowboarding accident before the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. With Elliott returning to the Cup Series at Martinsville Speedway, he has finally revealed details about the situation.
What did Elliott have to say about his injury, the accident, and the idea of snowboarding in the future?
Chase Elliott reveals great amount of details regarding his snowboarding accident
Elliott will officially end up missing six races once he buckles into his No. 9 car for Hendrick Motorsports this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. It will be the first time he competes since the NASCAR Cup Series race at Auto Club Speedway.
With the second year of the NextGen car underway, the 2020 Cup Series champion will have plenty of work to do as he tries to climb the point standings or secure a win to make the 2023 NASCAR playoffs.
The 27-year-old driver has been quiet about the specifics regarding his snowboarding injury but has finally gone all-in on the details surrounding that day, the last couple of weeks, and moving forward.
Elliott went on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday afternoon and discussed all of the details surrounding the snowboarding accident.
“I had a couple fractures in the top of my tibia so it was really more around my knee than I guess my lower leg…It could have been a lot worse…I’ve told this to my close friends and obviously, I’ll tell you, guys, too. I do not have a cool story for this…It was just the perfect storm, my knee decided that that was the ballgame that day…I don’t think I’m gonna hang up (snowboarding) forever…You could trip and fall walking up the stairs and be out this weekend. I think you have to live your life.”
Chase Elliott describes his snowboarding accident and leg injury
Luckily, it appears Elliott avoided what could have been an even worse injury to his left tibia. This might explain why he is actually ahead of his six-week estimate of returning to the Cup Series in the No. 9 car.
Just like many people, Elliott doesn’t have a cool story tied to his injury but it doesn’t seem like he will stop snowboarding anytime soon. NASCAR drivers need to live their life and it is important to keep doing what they love.
With the accident and details about his leg injury now in the past, Elliott can look ahead to his upcoming NASCAR schedule. Which races could Elliott end up winning the rest of the regular season? Continue reading to find out below!
Read More: Chase Elliott’s path to the 2023 NASCAR playoffs after leg injury
Evaluating the best tracks for Chase Elliott to secure a victory
The good news for Elliott is that the majority of his best tracks are ahead. One of them is coming this weekend at Martinsville Speedway but it is very hard to imagine Elliott performing at a high level in his first race back in action.
Therefore, the 27-year-old driver’s outlook will go beyond this weekend, starting with a great stretch of races following Martinsville. NASCAR heads to Talladega and Dover the following two weekends. Remember the last time the sport went to those tracks?
Elliott won his only playoff race at Talladega while claiming his first victory of the 2022 season at Dover. This could not be a better stretch for Elliott to begin his comeback as it represents two great opportunities.
In May, NASCAR will have its longest race of the season at Charlotte Motor Speedway with the Coca-Cola 600. The 2020 Cup Series champion has run well at Charlotte and should be race fit by the time it arrives.
Meanwhile, Sonoma and Watkins Glen are during the summer months and he should be the favorite every time NASCAR enters those venues. The next road course isn’t for two more months so it will allow Elliott to get into a groove.
Outside of these specific tracks, there are two more superspeedway events at Atlanta and Daytona. Elliott has always run well on superspeedway tracks so they will represent a good opportunity for a win too.
Overall, Elliott missed some of his strong tracks but the majority of them still remain. It would be shocking to see him not secure a victory but winning in the Cup Series isn’t easy. The path to the playoffs starts this weekend at Martinsville and Elliott will be up for the task.
Whether you are watching Elliott’s return live or looking for how to watch NASCAR on TV, Sportsnaut has you covered for the upcoming weekend at Martinsville Speedway!