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The No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro is going to have a unique look at Darlington Raceway on Sunday, May 14. Chase Elliott will run a throwback scheme honoring his father, 1988 Cup Series champion Bill Elliott.
The scheme, which Hendrick Motorsports unveiled on May 5, will feature a red base that matches Bill’s No. 9 Dodge from the early 2000s. The main difference will be that Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet will have LLumar Films as the primary partner. The company’s logos will take over the hood and the doors while a special “Happy Mothers Day” message sits on the rear fenders.
Recreating schemes from history is not a simple matter, but LLumar Films and Hendrick Motorsports went a step further with the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro. It will have the unique door number font that Bill used while winning races at Homestead-Miami Speedway, Rockingham Speedway, Pocono Raceway, and Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Bill Captured a Crown Jewel With This Scheme
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GettyBill Elliott kisses the bricks after a win in 2002.
The elder Elliott achieved a considerable amount during his time in the NASCAR Cup Series. He won 44 races and the 1988 championship while taking part in an unprecedented reign as the sport’s Most Popular Driver. Bill’s 16 wins are the most in Cup Series history.
The time in the red No. 9 Dodge included a Crown Jewel win. He captured the 2002 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after leading 93 of the 160 laps. This was Bill’s first win at the prestigious track, and it was the second-to-last win of his Hall of Fame career.
The Brickyard 400 was the sixth Crown Jewel of his career. Bill won the Daytona 500 in both 1985 and 1987. He won the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in 1985, 1988, and 1994. The only Crown Jewel that he did not capture was the Coca-Cola 600.
Elliott Pursues His First Crown Jewel Win
GettyChase Elliott (center) celebrates a win with his parents.
The driver of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro has achieved his own success in the NASCAR Cup Series. He has the third-most road course wins in series history (seven), he has 18 total trips to Victory Lane, and he has a championship to his name.
Elliott does not yet have a Crown Jewel in his collection. He has not won at Daytona International Speedway, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, or Darlington Raceway. His only win at Charlotte Motor Speedway was the Alsco Uniforms 500 during the COVID-altered 2020 season.
The trip to Darlington Raceway will provide Elliott with another opportunity to win his first Crown Jewel. He has come close in his past 12 starts at The Lady in Black with three top-five finishes, but he has also crashed in four events. Elliott’s lone win at Darlington Raceway was the Xfinity Series spring race during the 2014 season.
While Elliott hasn’t won at Darlington Raceway, it stands to reason that he will snap this streak in the future. Hendrick Motorsports has been strong at the track with Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon combining for 10 wins at the South Carolina track. Ricky Rudd is another example as he won at Darlington in 1991.
William Byron was in a position to win during the 2022 Goodyear 400 before Joey Logano sent him into the wall on the final run to the checkered flag. Meanwhile, Kyle Larson has five top-five finishes in 10 starts at the track while Alex Bowman has one.
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