Key Partner Extends Deal With Chase Elliott, HMS

The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro will have a key partner back for the 2022  NASCAR Cup Series season and beyond. Hooters has reached a multi-year extension with Chase Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports, which includes three races as the primary each year.

Adam Stern of the Sports Business Journal first broke the news on Thursday, December 2. He revealed that the deal is for three more years through 2024. Additionally, Stern reported that the three races for the 2022 season are at World Wide Technology Raceway in June, Bristol Motor Speedway in September, and Las Vegas Motor Speedway in October.

“For five seasons, Chase has been a brand champion for Hooters both on and off the track, and we are thrilled to extend our partnership with him and Hendrick Motorsports,” said Hooters vice president of brand marketing Monica Fleury in a press release confirming the news. “As the home of race fans, Hooters will continue to provide one-of-a-kind experiences fans can only get at our restaurants. Both Chase’s fan base and NASCAR fans are extremely loyal, and we plan to continue to feed this spirit and passion for years to come.”

Hooters first joined Hendrick Motorsports during the 2017 Cup Series season with a two-race deal. The restaurant chain took over Elliott’s stock car for the spring race at Talladega Superspeedway and then returned for the playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway. Hooters added a third race to the deal in 2019.

Elliott’s Current Contract Expires After the 2022 Season

The Hooters extension with Elliott runs through the 2024 season, but his deal with HMS will expire after the 2022 season. Though this extension and comments from team owner Rick Hendrick indicate that Elliott will not reach free agency.

“Hooters does a terrific job maximizing the program with Chase and the No. 9 team,” Hendrick said in a statement. “To see our partnership deliver valuable results for them is very rewarding. Chase is a champion driver and tremendous spokesperson for the brand, and we look forward to building on that success in the seasons to come.”

The press release on December 2 is not the first time that Hendrick has discussed keeping Elliott in the No. 9 Chevrolet. He told media members on July 14 that his goal is to sign both Elliott and William Byron to contract extensions so that they will continue racing for the championship-winning organization.

Elliott Has 1 Task to Achieve With Hooters

GettChase Elliott has not won with Hooters on the No. 9.

The driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro has achieved considerable success during his six full-time seasons with HMS. He has won 13 points-paying races, the 2020 All-Star Race, and the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series championship. He has also moved into third place on the all-time road course wins list behind Jeff Gordon (nine) and Tony Stewart (eight).

One thing that Elliott has not achieved yet is take Hooters to Victory Lane as a primary sponsor. He has won eight races with NAPA on the car, one with Kelley Blue Book, one with LLumar, one with Sun Energy 1, and two with Mountain Dew. He also won the All-Star Race with UniFirst on the No. 9.

Elliott will have three more opportunities to achieve this goal during the 2022 season. He hasn’t won a points-paying Cup Series race at any of the three tracks, but his All-Star win took place at Bristol Motor Speedway.

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