Chase Elliott fractured his left tibia in a snowboarding accident before the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway which has left him out of his No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports car for six races. However, there has been an update on Elliott’s status.
What is the latest update on the 2020 Cup Series champion and which race will start his comeback this season?
Hendrick Motorsports releases update on Chase Elliott’s return to the NASCAR Cup Series
Josh Berry has been driving the No. 9 car for Hendrick Motorsports in the majority of the races since Elliott’s accident before Las Vegas outside of Jordan Taylor’s 24th-place effort at Circuit of the Americas.
Over that period of time, Berry has one top-5 finish, two top-10 finishes, and a 17.2 average finishing position in five starts. It is not up to the No. 9 car’s previous standards with Elliott but the JR Motorsports driver has been incredibly solid as a replacement.
Berry’s highlight moment was finishing in second place at Richmond Raceway behind teammate Kyle Larson; however, another great run would be expected at Martinsville Speedway if Elliott is not fully ready yet.
Speaking of Elliott, there has been an update released on his status. Hendrick Motorsports Vice Chairman Jeff Gordon talked about Elliott’s six-week recovery in a question asked by NBC Sports last weekend at Richmond.
“I think that’s still the target. It’s a week-to-week thing based on his doctors and what they’re seeing and how the recovery is going.”
Jeff Gordon on Chase Elliott’s potential return to NASCAR
This is promising for Elliott as the six-week recovery time is still the target. If it is a week-to-week situation, the 27-year-old driver’s return feels like it could be coming sooner rather than later at this point.
In fact, FOX Sports insider Bob Pockrass said there is optimism that Elliott will return soon; however, there is no indication that he will come back for the race at Martinsville this weekend.
There is no return date in place yet but which race would make the most sense for a return and what does the timeline currently look like for Elliott as he continues to heal? Continue reading to find out the details on Elliott’s potential return date!
Related: Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Hendrick Motorsports’ penalty being modified
Chase Elliott’s injury timeline as his return to Hendrick Motorsports is coming soon
Elliott fractured his tibia on the Friday before the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Since his rehab started the next Monday, it has been five weeks since the timeline for a return began.
This means the 2020 Cup Series champion should still miss this week if he is not ahead in the recovery process. The next race is at one of his best tracks in Martinsville Speedway. A return at Martinsville would be tough due to the physical demand on his left leg anyway.
The next and most likely return date for Elliott remains Talladega Superspeedway on April 23 if the latest reports are correct. It would not be too much demand on his left leg and represent a good chance for Elliott to knock off the rust at a track he won last season.
Unless his recovery time goes beyond the six-week estimate, it seems pretty likely that Elliott returns as early as Martinsville and as late as Talladega. The turnaround to run Martinsville would only make sense if he exceeds expectations and can properly prepare during the upcoming week.
If Hendrick Motorsports decides not to take the risk at Talladega, a return at Dover Motor Speedway would be on April 30 in three weeks. Granted, wrecks can happen anywhere but it is a known fact that Talladega causes major accidents.
With little concrete information known on Elliott’s current status, it still remains a mystery when he will return. The good news for Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports, and his fans is that it should be sooner rather than later at this point.