NASCAR: Driver change confirmed for Martinsville race

Josh Berry was listed as the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet for Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway, but Chase Elliott is set to return.

Josh Berry has done a commendable job as Chase Elliott’s replacement behind the wheel of the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the NASCAR Cup Series season as Elliott has recovered from the broken left tibia he suffered in a Colorado snowboarding crash last month.

Berry, who finished in second place at Richmond Raceway two Sundays ago, was initially listed as the driver of the No. 9 Chevrolet on the entry list for this coming Sunday afternoon’s NOCO 400 at Martinsville Speedway. However, plans have changed.

Elliott is set to return for this 400-lap race around the four-turn, 0.526-mile (0.847-kilometer) Ridgeway, Virginia, marking his first start since he competed at Auto Club Speedway on Sunday, February 26.

Hendrick Motorsports initially estimated that Elliott’s injury would sideline him for six weeks, and they nailed it with that projection, which would explain the lack of official updates throughout his recovery process.

Elliott has missed the last six races, and the entry list for Sunday’s race indicated that he would miss a seventh straight, which wasn’t all that alarming considering the fact that drivers use “left foot braking” and Martinsville Speedway is one of the most brake-heavy ovals on the schedule.

But after spending time in the Chevrolet simulator, Elliott determined that he was ready to get back behind the wheel of the No. 9 Chevrolet this weekend.

NASCAR has granted Chase Elliott a playoff waiver, meaning that he remains eligible to qualify for the playoffs despite missing six races.

He currently sits in 34th place in the point standings, 134 points below the playoff cut line, so he has his work cut out for him to qualify for his eighth straight postseason with 18 races remaining in the regular season.

The NOCO 400 is set to be broadcast live from Martinsville Speedway on Fox Sports 1 beginning at 3:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, April 16. Begin a free trial of FuboTV now if you have yet to do so!