Chase Elliott talks about his ‘tough’ return to NASCAR at Martinsville Speedway

Chase Elliott discusses his return to NASCAR at Martinsville Speedway this weekend. What did Elliott have to say about the task ahead?

NASCAR: Xfinity 500

Chase Elliott will return to the No. 9 car for Hendrick Motorsports in this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway after a six-week absence following his fractured left tibia from a snowboarding accident in March.

Elliott, 27, discussed the snowboarding accident and the exact injury to his left tibia on Thursday before diving into the conversations about the race weekend ahead. The 27-year-old driver seems ready to get back behind the wheel.

For Elliott, it represents the third official Cup Series race of the 2023 NASCAR season after finishing in 38th place during the Daytona 500 and second place behind Kyle Busch at Auto Club Speedway.

Related: Chase Elliott’s path to the 2023 NASCAR playoffs after leg injury

Chase Elliott discusses his ‘tough’ return to NASCAR at Martinsville Speedway

Chase Elliott

Elliott returns to the Cup Series sitting 134 points below the playoff cut-line and while it seems to be a major amount, it is realistic for him to make up that ground on points alone. Christopher Bell leads the points and is 98 points above 16th place through eight races.

Therefore, the driver of the No. 9 car might be able to gain the necessary points to make it into the playoffs on points. Granted, it seems pretty likely that Elliott will win a race during the 2023 regular season at some point.

There have been seven winners through eight races which means there are nine spots open for drivers to lock themselves into the playoffs. Either way, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion shouldn’t be in too much trouble right now.

Elliott’s comeback story begins this weekend at Martinsville Speedway and the Hendrick Motorsports driver talked about the upcoming race and having Josh Berry, a JR Motorsports driver, as his backup in a conference call with reporters on Thursday afternoon.

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t going to be tough. It’s going to be tough. I sat around, I was non-weight-bearing for a number of weeks. When you’re not using a muscle on your body, you lose a large percentage of your muscle mass in just the first couple weeks. All those things are pretty normal. It’s going to be tough for sure but I feel like I’m at a point where I’m comfortable to go do it and I think I can go do it. (Josh Berry) will be around in case I get to a point where I get uncomfortable or I have pain…But as of now, I feel good about it.”

Chase Elliott on his NASCAR return at Martinsville Speedway

Elliott’s return could mirror Kyle Busch’s return from his injuries during the 2015 season. Busch missed 11 races after breaking his left leg and right foot in a NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Daytona International Speedway.

Busch returned and only had one top-10 finish in his first four starts before winning four out of the next five races en route to his first Cup Series title. Elliott will likely struggle off the bat but there are a few good races coming up.

Talladega and Dover will follow the race at Martinsville so an opportunity for a victory could be ahead. It will be important for Elliott to complete all the laps and get used to the car again on Sunday.

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!

Miami HEAT writer at Sportsnaut. Journalism student at Delta College.
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