CONCORD, N.C. — As NASCAR Cup Series star Chase Elliott recovers from a leg injury, Josh Berry will continue to drive the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Hendrick Motorsports at upcoming oval tracks while road racing standout Jordan Taylor will compete for the team at Circuit of The Americas in Texas.
Elliott suffered a fractured tibia while snowboarding in Colorado on March 3 and underwent successful surgery that evening. He was released from the hospital Saturday and did not race Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, marking the first missed start of his career. The 2020 Cup Series champion is currently rehabilitating in Colorado. His recovery is expected to last approximately six weeks.
“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 Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “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.”
Berry, 32, filled in for Elliott at Las Vegas, finishing 29th in his third career Cup start. Driving for Hendrick Motorsports affiliate JR Motorsports, the Hendersonville, Tennessee, native is a five-time race winner in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.
Taylor currently competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing. The Orlando, Florida, native won the 2017 24 Hours of Daytona and the 2017 championship in the IMSA prototype class.
Although the March 26 race at Circuit of The Americas will represent his first career Cup Series start, the 31-year-old driver has competed at the road course multiple times, including two wins (2016 and 2017) in four IMSA appearances.