Chase Elliott expects challenges as he returns to NASCAR Cup Series competition this weekend at Martinsville Speedway but said he wouldn’t get back behind the wheel if he didn’t feel ready.
Elliott missed the last six races after surgery on his tibia following a snowboarding accident in Colorado, the weekend the series visited Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was an “unfortunate accident,” said Elliott, an experienced snowboarder. The former series champion does not have plans to change how he approaches extracurricular activities.
“I had surgery on my tibia in a couple of different places,” Elliott said. “I have a few screws in the top of my tibia. It’s really knee-located (more) than it is lower leg.”
Elliott said the injury is not uncommon and could have been worse. There were no ACL tears or meniscus injuries. Physical therapy has been standard, and Elliott does not anticipate any additional surgeries if he does not injure it again.
“I don’t anticipate it being any different really from a comfort standpoint,” Elliott said of his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. “The way you sit in the car and the way I like to sit as it revolves around my leg and knee, all that stuff is really stable and tightly packed in there between the seat, the leg board, the knee knocker. All those things already have your left leg pretty tight, so if I was going to change anything, I would really want that. And that was something the doctors and I talked about, too, coming back in. I think that’s a really positive thing, and that was already the case.
“I feel like things are already like I would want them if they weren’t. Nothing really special (was done) from the interior standpoint that we worked on this week.”
Elliott will continue to work his strength back up, but the integrity of his bone is where he won’t hurt it returning to competition. With Elliott’s doctors comfortable with where he is in his rehabilitation, it was Elliott’s decision to return.
Sunday’s race at Martinsville Speedway will be 400 laps. Elliott has gone through simulator work this week and felt good.
“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t going to be tough. It’ll be tough,” Elliott said. “I sat around and was non-weighting baring for a number of weeks, so when you’re not using a muscle on your body, you lose a large percentage of your muscle mass in just the first couple of weeks. All those things are very normal.
“So, it’s going to be tough, for sure, but I feel like I’m at the point where I’m comfortable to go do it.”
Elliott knew immediately that something was wrong when he got injured the Friday before the Las Vegas race. While in the emergency room, Elliott said he was “super honest” with team owner Rick Hendrick and crew chief Alan Gustafson (pictured top, with Elliott)