Chase Elliott gives major update on ‘painful’ recovery from shoulder surgery
Chase Elliott underwent surgery in the off-season.
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Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott (Via IMAGO)
The 2023 NASCAR Cup season was a year to forget for Chase Elliott. He failed to make it to the playoff due to a winless run and failed to end the streak in the last ten races of the season. Elliott injured his tibia in the third race week of the season due to a snowboarding accident and missed out on six races, which killed his momentum.
The trouble didn’t end there; after a tough season following the comeback, the Hendrick Motorsports driver had to undergo shoulder surgery to fix an issue bugging him for a long time. He wants to come into the 2024 NASCAR Cup season full-fit to end his winless streak that started after the Talladega playoff race in 2022.
Recently, Elliott has given insight into his recovery. He admitted that he is working through it despite it being a painful journey and added that moving his shoulders at the moment is a bit difficult. He also jokingly said that he has learned a lot about shoulder and knees this year due to injuries.
Chase Elliott says he won’t have a backup driver at the Clash after offseason shoulder surgery. How he compares his shoulder surgery and rehab to that of his knee and leg and last year. pic.twitter.com/4pMz69AxML
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) January 19, 2024
I’m still working through it. But it’s been, yeah definitely aspects of it that are painful, not fun. Just getting your range of motion back and get things loosened back up again is difficult. Shoulders are kinda tricky, I didn’t realize just how many awkward ways you use your shoulder. But, I’ve learned more about shoulders and knees in the past year than I cared to know about prior to [my injury and shoulder].Elliott told Fox Sports.
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Chase Elliott admits the knee injury was the worst
Elliott was asked which injury was most painful, the shoulder injury or the keen injury due to the snowboarding accident. He said that the latter was more painful, with the rehab procedure being more complex.
The knee was definitely worse, just way more complex of an injury. But, the rehab aspect of it, the shoulder, it’s been no joke, too. The procedure itself, the shoulder was very simple and straightforward, my knee was not.
Going into the 2024 season, Elliott’s primary focus will be getting back to the victory lane and securing a playoff spot as early as possible. But first, he has to be 100% fit ahead of the unofficial season opener, the LA Clash.
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