Chase Elliott, one of the most prominent NASCAR Cup Series drivers, will not compete for the foreseeable future after recently suffering a broken leg in a snowboarding accident.
Hendrick Motorsports president and general manager Jeff Andrews spoke with reporters over the weekend and revealed that Elliott was recovering after a three-hour surgery was conducted to repair his left fractured tibia.
"At this point in time, we would expect this obviously to be several weeks," Andrews told reporters prior to Sunday's Pennzoil 400 in Las Vegas, per NASCAR. "But beyond that, I don't have a timeline to offer for you. We will obviously work with Chase and his doctors in the future to help determine that. But again, I just can't reiterate enough that for Mr. Hendrick and Hendrick Motorsports, the most important thing is Chase's health and his well-being. We will work with him on that timeline."
Elliott took to social media Sunday afternoon to make a lighthearted joke about the injury and NASCAR's "script," a play on a popular trend in sports.
Elliott's injury prompted a debate on whether drivers should be able to engage in adventurous activities off the track. Andrews said Hendrick Motorsports did not have policies in place to restrict drivers from doing so, and expressed how drivers have a life off the track. He confirmed that team's stance was that it was an accident.
Josh Berry, an Xfinity Series regular, took Elliott's place behind the wheel for Hendrick Motorsports on Sunday as he drove the No. 9 car. Berry now will have the pressure of racing well in order to remain in Elliott's seat.
"We're going to race a long time together with Chase Elliott, and we're going to win a lot more races together," Andrews said. "It's certainly a little bit of a setback and obviously Chase is very disappointed, but again I want to reiterate that the most important thing is Chase's health."
Elliott, one of the most successful drivers in the sport and the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion, was coming off a second-place finish during last week's Pala Casino 400 in California.
