“I Hope Not” – Fans Shockingly Side With Chase Elliott’s Replacement as Jeff Gordon Offers Latest Update on His Return

There has been a lot that has been going wrong with Hendrick Motorsports lately. It all started with losing Chase Elliott after the Auto Club 400 as he fractured his left tibia in a snowboarding accident. The NASCAR Cup Series giants have since suffered multiple sanctions from NASCAR. However, the team’s Vice President Jeff Gordon has finally come up with some good news.

He has an answer to Elliott’s return timeline. Sadly, fans have not taken this news well and have given a surprising reaction.

After a promising start in 2023, HMS has struggled as the season progressed. Without a doubt, they have missed Elliott, but his interim replacement, Josh Berry, hasn’t done badly either. With limited prior Cup Series experience, the 32-year-old has bagged a top-five and a top-ten finish in just five starts. Luckily, even fans seem to like him.

Hendrick Motorsports Vice President Jeff Gordon provides an update on Chase Elliott’s return date

With 18 wins, 87 top-five, and 138 top-ten wins in 259 wins, Chase Elliott has surely made a name for himself. While Hendrick Motorsports would have loved him to repeat his 2020 Cup Series triumph this campaign, it looks a distant thought for now.

Losing him in the fashion they did was more than unfortunate. However, his interim replacement has done a decent job so far. Josh Berry has been quite impressive and should be lauded for some fine performances so far. He came extremely close to registering his first Cup Series win had he not finished as a runner-up at Richmond Raceway.

Nevertheless, it is a cameo that will come to an end sooner or later. It is unfortunate for him, but it is how things are as Jeff Gordon brings an update on the Elliott situation. Speaking on SiriusXM’s Morning Drive, the NASCAR Hall of Famer brought some positive news.

The 51-year-old confirmed Elliott’s recovery is going pretty well and is hopeful of a return any week. Gordon said it is likely that the Georgia-born driver could even return to Martinsville this weekend if things go well. Later on, this was confirmed.

READ MORE – NASCAR Team’s Move Puts Hendrick Motorsports’ Stubborn Chase Elliott Decision Under the Microscope

After waiting for days for Elliott to return, one would expect fans to react positively to this news. Surprisingly, that was not the response.

Fans react to Jeff Gordon’s update on Chase Elliott’s injury as the NASCAR Cup Series heads to Martinsville

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For days, there has been only one question in the minds of the Hendrick Motorsports faithful; when is Chase Elliott returning? However, after Jeff Gordon’s latest update, there has been an unexpected reaction.

It is to be noted that Josh Berry’s career’s first NASCAR Xfinity Series win came at Martinsville. This is one of the reasons why fans are in favor of him racing in place of Elliott this Sunday.

Unfortunately for this fan, Elliott has been cleared to race at Martinsville.

The other reason is the braking involved on the track, as many believe it might put more strain on his injured leg. As for Talladega, given the setup of the race, there are high possibilities of wrecks and injuries, which is why fans don’t recommend Elliott returning then either.

There is certainly a lot of empathy and caution in how fans have responded to the update from Gordon. Having said that, how would Hendrick Motorsports go about its business here? Let us know in the comments below.

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