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Hendrick Motorsports has made an important announcement. The team has named the two drivers that will replace Chase Elliott as he recovers from a fractured tibia.
The NASCAR Cup Series team made the announcement on March 7. JR Motorsports driver Josh Berry will continue to make starts in the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro. He will control the entry at Phoenix Raceway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bristol Motor Speedway (dirt), Richmond Raceway, and Martinsville Speedway.
The only exception will be the trip to Circuit of the Americas. Berry will step out of the No. 9 Chevrolet while Corvette Racing’s Jordan Taylor will take over the No. 9. He will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut while continuing a relationship with Hendrick Motorsports.
Berry made his Next Gen debut during the trip to Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He took over the No. 9 Chevrolet with very little notice, and he completed the Pennzoil 400. He gained experience but finished 29th due to some unexpected issues.
“Josh did an amazing job for us given the circumstances,” Hendrick Motorsports President/GM Jeff Andrews told media members after the Pennzoil 400. “And given the fact he’s not ever been in one of these Next-Gen cars before, really happy with what he did for us today.
“We’ve got some things to work on. We think we had a little bit of an issue there that was causing him a little bit of — some issues with his throttle there during the race that we’ve got to get fixed and remedied, but really, really pleased with the job he did for us today.”
Taylor Has Some Next Gen Experience
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GettyJordan Taylor (left) will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut.
Berry has made three Cup Series starts — two in the Gen 6 era and one in the Next Gen era. He will continue to gain experience in the Gen 7 Chevrolet while working with a well-funded organization.
Taylor, for comparison, does not officially have NASCAR experience. Though he has spent time competing in a different version of the Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro.
The four-time IMSA champion is the backup driver/coach for the Garage 56 lineup that features Jimmie Johnson, Jenson Button, and Mike Rockenfeller, so he has completed several laps at road courses in a Hendrick Motorsports-built Chevrolet.
“We’re focused on getting Chase back to 100%, so we’ll take however much time is necessary and make sure he has the best resources available,” said team owner Rick Hendrick. “Josh was impressive this weekend under difficult circumstances, and we look forward to having him drive the oval tracks until Chase is able to return.
“Jordan is a world-class road racer and has recently been working with our Garage 56 team preparing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He’ll be able to step in and do a great job at COTA.”
Hendrick Motorsports Also Set a Recovery Timeline
GettyJosh Berry prepares for practice at Talladega Superspeedway.
Along with naming Taylor and Berry as the replacement drivers for the immediate future, Hendrick Motorsports also provided a timeline for when Elliott could return to action.
The statement said that Elliott is currently rehabilitating in Colorado after his three-hour surgery and his release from the hospital. This recovery process is expected to last approximately six weeks.
If the recovery timeline is correct, Elliott will be in line to return to the NASCAR Cup Series for the Geico 500 at Talladega Superspeedway on April 23. He would return to the track where he last won (2022 YellaWood 500), and he would attempt to get back to full speed.
If Elliott returns to the No. 9 at Talladega Superspeedway, he will immediately prepare for qualifying. The superspeedway races don’t have practice sessions, so he will take part in qualifying before preparing for his first race since Auto Club Speedway on February 26.
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