NASCAR: Who is replacing Chase Elliott at Las Vegas?

Due to a leg injury he suffered in a snowboarding accident, Chase Elliott is set to miss this Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

On Friday night, it was announced that Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott had been involved in a snowboarding accident in Colorado earlier in the day and that this accident had caused a leg injury for which he needed to undergo surgery.

Elliott, who was scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday night, is set to miss this Sunday afternoon’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, marking his first missed start since becoming a full-time driver back in 2016. His 254-race consecutive starts streak dates back to the 2016 Daytona 500.

There is no timetable regarding a potential return for the 27-year-old Dawsonville, Georgia native, but that should change as more is known about the nature of the injury and Elliott’s road to recovery.

In the meantime, JR Motorsports Xfinity Series driver Josh Berry is set to fill in for NASCAR’s most popular driver.

Berry is set to drive the No. 9 Chevrolet in this Sunday’s 267-lap Pennzoil 400 at the four-turn, 1.5-mile (2.414-kilometer) Las Vegas, Nevada oval, marking his third career start at the Cup level.

Both of Berry’s first two starts came with Spire Motorsports during the 2021 season, and both also came in relief.

He replaced Justin Haley at Dover Motor Speedway and finished in 30th place, and he replaced Corey LaJoie later in the year at Michigan International Speedway and finished in 26th. Both relief appearances came as a result of COVID-19 protocols.

Berry owns five career Xfinity Series victories, and two have come in his last three starts at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Fox is set to broadcast the Pennzoil 400 live from Las Vegas Motor Speedway beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET this Sunday afternoon. If you haven’t already done so, begin a free trial of FuboTV now!