Chase Elliott, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion, is expected to miss at least several weeks -- including Sunday’s race in Las Vegas -- after injuring his left leg in a snowboard accident on Friday.
Elliott, 27, of Dawsonville, Georgia, underwent successful surgery for a fractured tibia, NBC Sports reported.
Hendrick Motorsports President Jeff Andrews on Saturday said that Elliott was recovering from the three-hour surgery and is expected to be released from a Colorado hospital later in the day, the sports outlet reported.
Team owner Rick Hendrick told The Associated Press that Elliott was “just out of surgery” and “it went well.”
“Chase’s health is our primary concern,” Hendrick told reporters on Friday. “He’s spoken with several members of our team and is understandably disappointed to miss time in the car. Of course, he has our full support, and we’ll provide any resources he needs.”
The injury means that Elliott will miss this Sunday’s race in Las Vegas, according to NASCAR.com.
Xfinity Series driver Josh Berry will drive in place of Elliott at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, NBC Sports reported. He will continue to drive while Elliott is recovering.
Andrews said there is “no timeline” as to when Elliott will return to the track.
We would expect this to obviously be several weeks but beyond that, I don’t have a timeline to offer for you,” Andrews said, according to the Hendrick Motorsports website. “We will work with Chase and his doctors in the future to help determine that.
Elliott had not missed a start during his full-time Cup Series career, NASCAR.com reported. He had made 254 consecutive starts since the 2016 Daytona 500, winning 18 times during the stretch.
Elliott would need a waiver from NASCAR to drive in the circuit’s playoffs if he qualifies this year since he missed a race, the AP reported. NASCAR has granted waivers in the past to drivers for medical and non-medical reasons, according to the news organization.
Berry has won five races in the Xfinity Series, with two coming in Las Vegas, NASCAR.com reported. That includes a victory in a race last year.
“A lot happened really fast,” Berry told NBC Sports. “The fact that I’ve won here twice in Xfinity definitely makes it a lot easier. I’ll be learning a new car in an hour or so (in practice). Success at the track definitely gives me more confidence in what I’m doing.”