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Chase Elliott has shared some new details about the injury he sustained while snowboarding in Colorado. He revealed the extent of the fracture and the rehab involved ahead of his return to the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.
The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion provided the insight on April 13. He met with media members and explained that he has previously used snowboarding as a training tool in the past and that he wasn’t doing “anything cool” before fracturing his tibia. It was just a “perfect storm” that led to him missing six Cup Series races.
“I just obviously had surgery on my tibia in a couple different places,” Elliott told the assembled media members. “I have a few screws on the top of my tibia there — it’s really more, I guess, knee located than it is lower leg.
“Rehab has been, I guess, pretty standard for that type of injury. It’s a very — it’s not an uncommon injury by any means and certainly could have been a lot worse. Fortunately, there was no ACL tear or meniscus or any of that, so that was all very positive and good. Like I said, could have been a lot worse. So no, unless I injure or hurt it again, there shouldn’t be any lingering surgeries to have to remove any of that stuff.”
Elliott Will Have a Backup Driver on Standby if Necessary
GettyChase Elliot will have a backup driver on standby at Martinsville Speedway.
The current plan is for Elliott to climb into the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro and remain in the driver’s seat until he completes the final lap at Martinsville Speedway. The doctors let him decide when he would return, and he opted for the April 16 race after a good session in the simulator.
There will be a backup driver on standby if needed. Josh Berry will be at the track and ready to replace Elliott if there are any issues during the early stages of the Cup Series race. Though Elliott does not expect to suffer any discomfort as he makes his first start since Auto Club Speedway on February 26.
“I don’t anticipate it being any different really from a comfort standpoint,” Elliott added. “I mean, it’s just really the way that you sit in the car. Kind of the way I like to sit, I guess, is it revolves around my leg and my knee.
“All that stuff is really stable and kind of tightly packed in there between the seat, the leg board, the knee knocker. Like, all those things really already have your left leg pretty tight anyway. So if I was going to change anything, I would really want that. And that was something the doctors and I talked about too coming back, and I think that’s a really positive thing and that was already the case.”
Elliott Has Extra Motivation During His Return
Getting back in the No. 9 Chevrolet and delivering a strong performance will have a positive impact. It will show Elliott that he is ready to take on the rest of the NASCAR schedule without any concerns about setbacks. It will also add extra intrigue to the battle for playoff spots.
As Elliott acknowledged during an April 13 appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” he is so far out of points that he is only hunting for wins. This is the only thing that matters to him. Though he will have some extra motivation as he attempts to return to Victory Lane.
“If you’re not first, you’re last,” McAfee said during his interview with Elliott. “With that being said, if you get first this weekend, we’ll give $100,000 to a charity of your choice. The world is better that you’re back in the NASCAR seat.”
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