Chase Elliott’s 2014 Nationwide series car. Photo from Jayski.com

JR Motorsports announced that Chase Elliott would be driving the #9 NAPA Chevrolet in this season’s Nationwide series. Chase’s father, Bill Elliot, made the #9 famous in NASCAR with 44 wins and the 1988 Sprint Cup Series Championship. 

While the reunion of the Elliott name and the synonymous number may seem familiar in NASCAR, it’s worthy to point out that Bill Elliott drove Fords and Dodge powered vehicles adorn with the number 9 in NASCAR’s premiere series. Son Chase will be on his own to forge the Elliot legacy in a #9 Chevrolet.

Sponsored by NAPA, Elliott’s Chevrolet keeps the sponsor involved in NASCAR after the company severed its relationship with Michael Waltrip Racing. NAPA left MWR at the end of the first year in a three-year contract citing the team’s involvement in the team order’s scandal resulting from the September 9, 2013 race at Richmond International Speedway. NASCAR hit the MWR team with the stiffest penalty in series history, a $300,000 fine and 50-point penalty to Martin Truex, Clint Bowyer and Brian Vickers, for manipulating the results of the race which allowed Truex to gain a spot in the “Chase” for the championship. 

NAPA stated “We remain supportive of the millions of NASCAR fans and will evaluate our future position in motorsports,” in the statement relating to the decision to end their sponsorship, which was estimated over $15 million annually.

Elliott’s success in NASCAR’s Camping World Truck Series, becoming the youngest winner in the series history on September 1, 2013 at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, in only his sixth start in the series.  

Photo from Jayski.com

“NAPA is pleased to continue its long standing involvement in NASCAR, the most popular form of motorsports in the United States supported by its many loyal and passionate fans,” NAPA president Dan Askey said in a release. “Chase Elliott is a young and talented, future star in the sport and will represent NAPA well both on and off the track. We welcome Chase and the entire JR Motorsports organization to the NAPA Family.”

Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports responded to the news by saying, “I can’t wait to see that #9  Napa Know How Chevrolet with another talented Elliott behind the wheel.”