Why NASCAR is refusing to give Chase Elliott a medical waiver?

Chase Elliott has to secure a win to secure a playoff spot, even if they got the waiver.

Why NASCAR is refusing to give Chase Elliott a medical waiver?

Chase Elliott (credits @HMS/Twitter)

2020 NASCAR Cup series champion Chase Elliott got into an unfortunate snowboarding accident ahead of the Las Vegas Cup race in Colorado. The Hendrick Motorsports driver missed out on the Vegas cup race, which saw HMS domination as they swept the Podium with William Byron taking home the win.  

Elliott reportedly will miss 6 upcoming races before making returning to the track. The timeframe is speculative and might change according to his recovery pace. JR Motorsports driver Josh Berry will substitute Elliott in the oval races, and 4 times IMSA champion Jordan Taylor will drive in the COTA Cup race with the No:9 team.

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In order for Chase Elliott to make it to the 2023 Cup playoff, he needs a NASCAR medical waiver as he is missing the races. The sanctioning body is yet to grant Elliott the waiver. According to Fox Sport senior reporter Bob Pockrass, the fans don’t need to worry about the delay as NASCAR is deliberately doing it so that they can grant him the waiver once the exact date of his return is known.

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“NASCAR is not expected to rule on waiver until Elliott is medically cleared to race. That way, it knows how many races missed. .. While the team has said recovery will take approximately six weeks, obviously don’t know for sure yet the exact length of time,” Pockrass tweeted in reply to a fan query.

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Rick Hendrick opens up about Chase Elliott’s replacement

Rick Hendrick (Credits@HMS)
Rick Hendrick (Credits@HMS)

Though it came in unfortunate circumstances, two veteran drivers were given the opportunity to make their Next-Gen car debut with HMS. Josh Berry of JRM did a commendable job replacing Elliott at Vegas, and it has landed the reaming Oval race opportunities. HMS has also signed Jordan Taylor, who is working alongside them for the 24 Hours of LeMans entry Garage 56 will drive in the COTA Road Course race.  

HMS owner Rick Hendrick recently opened up about his plans to get Elliott back to 100%. He pointed out that Josh Berry made an impressive outing at Vegas and expects him to improve as the season progresses. Hendrick also expects Jordan Taylor, scheduled to drive in COTA, to step up and impress.

“We’re focused on getting Chase back to 100%, so we’ll take however much time is necessary and make sure he has the best resources available. Josh was impressive this weekend under difficult circumstances, and we look forward to having him drive the oval tracks until Chase is able to return. Jordan is a world-class road racer and has recently been working with our Garage 56 team preparing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He’ll be able to step in and do a great job at COTA.” Rick Hendrick said.

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