NASCAR: Elliott signs five-year contract extension with Hendrick

Hendrick Motorsports and driver Chase Elliott have reached a five-year contract extension that will keep the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion with the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 team through the end of the 2027 racing season.

The agreement was signed Saturday afternoon at Daytona International Speedway in advance of today’s season-opening DAYTONA 500 (2:30 p.m. ET on FOX).

Elliott, 26, has never missed the Cup Series playoffs in his six full seasons at NASCAR’s top level. The Dawsonville, Georgia, native earned rookie of the year honors in 2016 and secured his first Cup title in 2020. He has already won 13 career points-paying races, including two in 2021 when he appeared in the Championship 4 for the second consecutive season.

In February 2011, Elliott signed with Hendrick Motorsports as a 15-year-old high school freshman and has since been successful at every level of competition. He won his first NASCAR national series title in 2014 (Xfinity Series) and is now a second-generation Cup Series champion following his father, NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, who earned the top honor in 1988.

“I feel so fortunate to be in this position,” said Chase Elliott, who will drive the No. 9 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in today’s DAYTONA 500. “I have a great team with leadership from Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and the support of the best car owner and racing organization in the world. For me, there’s a lot of pride in driving for Hendrick Motorsports and having the opportunity to win races and compete for championships. We are capable of accomplishing a lot more and it starts today.”

In addition to his performance on the track, Elliott has been voted by fans as the NASCAR Cup Series’ most popular driver in each of the last four years. In 2017, he established the non-profit Chase Elliott Foundation, which provides support and financial assistance to well-qualified charitable organizations with an emphasis on helping others live healthier, happier lives. It has raised thousands of dollars in support of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and other important causes.

“Chase is a champion on and off the track,” said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. “His talent inside the race car is undeniable, and he’s just scratching the surface of what he can do. This is a young man who is mature beyond his years, comes from an incredible family, and is humble, hardworking and never takes anything for granted. As long as Chase is driving, we want him right here with Hendrick Motorsports. This is an exciting way to start the season, and we look forward to many, many more together.”

Elliott’s previous contract with Hendrick Motorsports ran through 2022.