Just over 11 months ago, Chase Elliott was in victory lane at Texas Motor Speedway, marking his first NASCAR Cup Series win since he won at Talladega Superspeedway in October 2022.
His 19th career win was also his first victory with Hooters as the primary sponsor of his No. 9 Chevrolet.
Hooters had been a part-time primary sponsor of Elliott since he drove the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports in 2017, and prior to Elliott's Texas triumph, they had not won a race as a Cup Series primary sponsor since Alan Kulwicki scored his final victory at Pocono Raceway in June 1992.
But a few months later, Rick Hendrick's team and the Georgia-based restaurant chain abruptly cut ties, a move first speculated when the Hooters logo was removed from Elliott's car for the late June race at Nashville Superspeedway and also from from the partnerships page on Hendrick Motorsports' website.
Hooters was unable to meet its sponsorship obligations to the team during their eighth year together.
The development arose as Hooters became one of a number of once-popular restaurant chains to cut back last year due to an increase in food costs, high labor rates, and consumers being extra cautious about spending in today's economy. Several dozen of its over 300 locations nationwide were shut down due to cost cutting.
Hendrick Motorsports sued Hooters last year for $1.705 million, plus interest, due to the chain's unpair sponsorship fees. The three-race primary deal, plus the associate sponsorship deal for the rest of the season, was valued at $1.75 million.
Now Hooters has agreed to pay, but only $900,000, according to Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass.
Hooters has agreed to pay $900K to Hendrick Motorsports, according to court records. HMS had originally sued Hooters for $1.705 million plus interest for what it had not paid for 2024 sponsorship for Chase Elliiott ($1.75M deal; team had announced three primaries plus associate).
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 21, 2025
Elliott had been slated to run the Hooters paint scheme later in the year at Richmond Raceway, but that obviously did not happen. He also ran it a few races prior to his Texas victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the de facto home track for both the driver and the company.
Coca-Cola ended up serving as Elliott's primary sponsor at Richmond, as Elliott has been one of the members of the Coca-Cola Racing Family since 2023.
Through five races in 2025, Elliott sits in a third place tie in the point standings. He did win the preseason Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, but he is still seeking his first points win since he won at Texas in the Hooters car back in April 2024.