Chase Elliott forfeits Las Vegas!

The champion NASCAR 2020 Cup Series Chase Elliott must forfeit, at minimum, the Las Vegas round after injuring his left leg while snowboarding in Colorado on Friday. He was scheduled to have surgery Friday evening. No information has yet been communicated on the consequences of this intervention and the duration of its unavailability.

Josh Berry, a regular NASCAR Xfinity competitor at Hendrick's satellite team JR Motorsports, will replace Elliott in the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro this weekend. He has only two Cup Series starts to date at Dover and Michigan in 2021.

Josh Berry will compete with the elite this weekend behind the wheel of the No. 9 Camaro © Stacy Revere/Getty Images

"Chase's health is our main concern, said Rick Hendrick, owner of Hendrick Motorsports. He has spoken with several members of our team and is understandably disappointed that he will not be able to get behind the wheel this weekend. Of course, he has our full support and we will provide him with all the resources he needs. We hope to be able to provide you with more positive information later this weekend. »

Chase Elliott had never missed a race since his Cup Series debut at the 500 Daytona 2016. He remained on a streak of 254 consecutive starts.

Josh Berry won 5 rounds of the Xfinity Series, including two in Las Vegas, his favorite track. By winning in Vegas last year, he managed to qualify for the Playoffs in his first full season. Taking the place of a champion of Elliott's caliber will be quite a challenge for the 32-year-old driver from Hendersonville, Tennessee.

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