Chase Elliott Dealt Yet Another Blow as Championship Winning Spotter Bids Adieu to HMS

Eddie D’Hondt is departing from the Cup Series. The spotter for Hendrick Motorsports’ No. 9 team has served the team and its driver, Chase Elliott, to his maximum capabilities. The championship-winning spotter announced the news on Saturday evening through a tweet. D’Hondt’s exit came after 12 years in the premier NASCAR competition, which is a long enough time for the fanbase to grow fond of him.

However, there have been no rumors or speculations about his future in the Cup. Looking at the tweet, one would note that something exciting is about to come for D’Hondt. A lot of teams could use a championship-winning spotter by their side. Having worked with Jeff Gordon from 2012 to 2016, D’Hondt was one of the major contributors to Elliott’s 2020 championship win.

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In his 12 years of spotting some of the best cars in NASCAR, Eddie D’Hondt has watched 26 victories. D’Hondt has been the helping voice for Elliott and Gordon in a combined 468 races, which is a huge amount. In his five seasons with 4-time champ Jeff Gordon, the spotter was a part of 8 memorable wins during the dusk of a glorious career.

Alongside D’Hondt, another member of the Hendrick Motorsports team who has been rock solid is crew chief Alan Gustafson. The #9 crew chief joined the team alongside D’Hondt in 2012, and both moved to the #9 after Gordon’s retirement. Eddie did not forget to pay his respects and show appreciation for everyone involved in the progression of his career.

Writing his feelings in a tweet, D’Hondt said, “Been a helluva run.. 12yrs, 26 wins, 2020 Champs. Thank you to: Mr. Hendrick, @JeffGordonWeb, @chaseelliott, Alan Gustafson 468 races together, 26 wins & a championship. Lastly, my dude Kevin Hamlin. A career to many, a wonderful lifetime memory, for us all. Excited for what’s next.“

D’Hondt has surely established himself as one of the best spotters in the top flight in the last decade. With 26 wins and a championship to his name, many teams will inquire about his invaluable services. As for Elliott, it has been a tough season for him. Despite having won an NMPA award for the sixth time, losing his spotter amid a shoulder injury scare has kept him skeptical.

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The 2020 Cup champion had to go through surgery earlier in December to ease his chronic shoulder pain. While February 4 marks the beginning of the season-long NASCAR carnival, the possibility of an injury has worried him. Chase has expressed his thoughts on the injury and said the surgery should help him prepare for the Coliseum exhibition race.

Chase Elliott has been a regular visitor to the annual NASCAR awards, and as unexpected as it was, Chase became a six-time winner of the Most Popular Driver of the Year award. However, the tibia injury that forced him to miss six races was a major reason people doubted his chances. The injury kept him away from racing for six-point races.

Owing to this, Chase felt that he had a chance to miss out on the award to Ryan Blaney. Speaking at the award ceremony in Nashville, he said, “There’s always a chance for anything,”

“Ryan (Blaney) has a great following, and obviously, with him having a great year, I thought that he would have a shot and also the same for Kevin (Harvick) finishing up his career, a great career at that. I don’t ever take it for granted. I’m always grateful for the honor.” 

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A poor 2023 will push Elliott to focus on personal fitness, a painful aspect of the sport recently. His teammate Alex Bowman has also struggled with it recently and, similarly to Elliott, missed the playoffs for the first time. The task ahead is incredibly tough for the No. 9 team, especially with the personnel change now.