**SO SADLY: NASCAR Confirms Chase Elliott Set to Miss Remainder of the 2025 Season Following Devastating Injury — Fans and Teams in Shock**
**May 3, 2025 | Charlotte, NC | By Amanda Hayes, NASCAR Insider**
In a stunning and heartbreaking turn of events, **NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports have officially confirmed that Chase Elliott**, the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series Champion and one of the sport’s most recognizable faces, will **miss the remainder of the 2025 season** following a **serious off-track injury** sustained last weekend.
The announcement, which sent shockwaves through the NASCAR community early Saturday morning, confirms growing fears that Elliott’s injuries were far more severe than originally reported after an off-road accident near his home in Dawsonville, Georgia.
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### WHAT HAPPENED?
According to team officials, the 29-year-old driver was participating in a private off-road trail run with close friends and family on Sunday, April 27, when **his UTV (utility terrain vehicle) overturned** while descending a rocky slope. Emergency services were called immediately, and Elliott was airlifted to a nearby trauma center with **serious injuries to his leg and lower back**.
After several days of silence and speculation, Hendrick Motorsports finally released a formal update:
> *“Following extensive medical evaluation and discussions with Chase and his family, we can confirm he has sustained multiple fractures that will require a long-term recovery,”* the statement read. *“Out of an abundance of caution, and on medical advice, Chase Elliott will not return to competition for the remainder of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season.”*
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### FANS DEVASTATED, NASCAR REACTS
Elliott’s absence leaves a **gaping hole in the NASCAR grid**. Widely regarded as the sport’s most popular driver — winning the fan-voted **Most Popular Driver Award** five years in a row — Elliott’s loyal fanbase has taken to social media en masse, posting tributes, get-well messages, and sharing memories of his greatest on-track moments.
The hashtags **#GetWellChase** and **#ElliottStrong** quickly began trending within minutes of the announcement.
> *“I just can’t believe it,”* tweeted NASCAR fan Michelle Warren. *“The sport doesn’t feel the same without Chase on Sundays.”*
Drivers across the paddock, including rivals and teammates, expressed their support.
**Kyle Larson**, teammate at Hendrick Motorsports: *“We’re going to miss him out there, no doubt. He’s a warrior and he’ll come back stronger. Right now, we’re just lifting him and his family up.”*
**Bubba Wallace**: *“Heartbreaking. No one wants to see a competitor go out like this. Hoping for a smooth recovery for Chase.”*
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### HENDRICK MOTORSPORTS: A DIFFICULT ROAD AHEAD
The No. 9 car, which Elliott has driven since 2016, is now left without its iconic driver for the remainder of the year. Hendrick Motorsports confirmed that **Josh Berry**, who previously filled in for Elliott in 2023 after his snowboarding injury, will once again take the wheel starting next week at Darlington.
Team principal **Rick Hendrick** offered a somber but determined outlook:
> *“Chase means everything to this organization. He’s family. We’re going to race hard for him every week, and make sure he has a home waiting for him when he’s ready to return.”*
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### A PROMISING SEASON ENDS ABRUPTLY
Before the injury, Elliott had been enjoying one of the most promising starts to a season in recent memory. With **four top-5 finishes** in the first nine races and a runner-up result at Martinsville, Elliott sat comfortably inside the playoff window.
Insiders say Hendrick Motorsports was preparing for a strong championship push with Elliott leading the charge — hopes now dashed by the unexpected accident.
> *“It’s a gut punch,”* said NASCAR analyst Jeff Burton. *“He was building serious momentum. This changes the entire playoff picture.”*
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### CHASE SPEAKS: “THIS HURTS… BUT I’LL BE BACK”
In a personal video message posted to his Instagram account, Elliott addressed fans from his hospital bed:
> *“This hurts. There’s no way around it. I wanted to be out there battling every week, not laid up in a hospital bed. But I know this is temporary. I’ve got the best doctors, the best team, and the best fans in the world. I’ll be back. I promise you that.”*
The message was met with an outpouring of support, and drivers pledged to **dedicate races in his honor**, with some even rumored to display **#9Strong** decals on their cars.
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### WHAT COMES NEXT?
Elliott’s recovery timeline is expected to extend well into the offseason. Doctors estimate a **6-to-8 month rehabilitation period**, depending on complications. The injury has reportedly required multiple surgeries, including one to repair a compound fracture in his tibia.
Meanwhile, NASCAR officials confirmed that Elliott will not be penalized in the driver standings, and a **waiver** could be granted for him to be eligible to compete in 2026 without losing playoff contention.
The remainder of the 2025 season for Hendrick Motorsports and Elliott fans will likely be marked by emotional tributes and the question: **Who can rise in his absence?**
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### THE LEGACY ON PAUSE, NOT OVER
Elliott’s career — already remarkable with **18 Cup Series wins**, a **Daytona Duel victory**, and a **championship at age 24** — has hit another cruel interruption. But those close to the Georgia native insist this isn’t the end.
> *“He’s a fighter. He comes from a racing family, and that spirit is in his blood,”* said NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, Chase’s father. *“This is just one more challenge. He’ll be back.”*
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### FINAL THOUGHTS
As NASCAR motors into the heart of its 2025 season, **one of its brightest stars is temporarily sidelined**, and the sport collectively holds its breath. Chase Elliott is more than a driver — he’s a symbol of the sport’s next generation, of loyalty, of fierce competitiveness wrapped in calm composure.
For now, fans will have to cheer from a distance, awaiting the roar of the No. 9 engine once again.
And when that moment comes — when Chase Elliott returns to the driver’s seat — it will be met with the loudest applause NASCAR has heard in years.
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Would you like a follow-up article with team and fan reactions
at the next race weekend, or a fictional interview with Josh Berry stepping in for the No. 9 car?
