Chase Elliott’s ’emotional’ NASCAR dream had sour ending at huge Hendrick cost – Motorsport – Sports

Chase Elliott’s storybook ending at Texas Motor Speedway in 2024 had one more unexpected – and unfortunate – twist.

This weekend, Elliott is set to return to the same track where he emerged victorious last year. NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver will don a new paint scheme for the Wurth 400, but has yet to coast down victory lane this season – prompting fans to question if his crew chief, Alan Gustafson, is the right man for the job with Elliott telling fans “all that matters.”

Last April, Elliott claimed his 19th career win in the NASCAR Cup Series with a first-place finish in the AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400. The emotional victory was a long time coming for both the No. 9 Chevrolet driver, who dedicated the dominant performance to Hooters and Hall of Famer Alan Kulwicki.

With the win, Elliott snapped a streak of 42 consecutive races without a win. It additionally marked the first time a car with Hooters as its primary sponsor won in the NASCAR Cup Series since Kulwicki won at Pocono Raceway in 1992.

“Oh, man, couldn’t feel any better. First off, thanks to everybody that came out today. You guys are unbelievable,” Elliott said at the time. “Hooters has been a partner of ours for a number of years now. It’s been a dream of mine to pay respect to the late Alan Kulwicki.

“Driving this car to a victory and do a Polish victory lap, just really crazy how things came full circle there in that moment. It was pretty emotional for me. He beat dad back in the day. Here, we are sharing his sponsor and having an opportunity to win today.

“So just, man, couldn’t be more grateful for this journey and kind of the path that hasn’t always been fun, but certainly have enjoyed working with our guys. We’ve been working really hard and really well together. Like I said, hasn’t always been fun, but we’ve enjoyed the fight together.”

Several months after Hendrick Motorsports and Hooters reached the pinnacle of NASCAR, their partnership came crashing down when the race team sued the restaurant chain for $1.705 million in missed payments.

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Last July, Hendrick Motorsports announced that it’d be terminating the three-race contract with Hooters due to the company’s inability to “meet its business obligations.”

In an official statement, Hendrick Motorsports wrote: “Hooters has been a valued partner of Hendrick Motorsports since 2017, contributing to our shared successes both on and off the track. In recent months, however, Hooters has not been able to meet its business obligations to our organization.

“Due to these unfortunate and unexpected circumstances, and despite extensive efforts on both sides to identify a workable solution, it became necessary for Hendrick Motorsports to end the relationship. It has been a privilege having Hooters as a part of our team and we wish them the best.”

Last month, Hooters reportedly agreed to pay $900,000 to Hendrick Motorsports in order to resolve the legal dispute.