Photo Credit: Lowell Jewell/OnPitRoad.com
Speaking with Sirius XM NASCAR radio, Hendrick Motorsports General Manager Doug Duchardt announced on Thursday, November 20th that Chase Elliott will run some Sprint Cup races in 2015, along with the full NASCAR Xfinity Series (formally Nationwide Series) schedule.
“He’s going to run Nationwide again next year and we’ve announced that we’re going to run some Cup races with him in 2015,” Duchart said. “I would expect that Kenny (Francis) is going to crew chief those races for him. I think that’s going to be a fun aspect of next year to see how Chase does in that. We’ll see how things are going in ’15 and see what the right steps are in the future. Right now, we’re just going to take 2015 and take a look at how things are progressing.
” … It’s like having this prospect in Triple-A that’s batting .380 and when is he coming up to big club and run? We’ll work on that, we’ll see where that all heads.”
Francis, who crew chiefed for Kasey Kahne this past season, was recently announced as the new vehicle technical director for Hendrick Motorsports on Wednesday.
It is no surprise to see the announcement as Rick Hendrick hinted towards the thought back in August, mentioning how well Elliott looked when he tested both Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon’s Sprint Cup Series cars.
“I said before he ever ran a race, I would put him in a 600-mile race at Charlotte and think he’d finish in the top 15, top 10, because he’s so smart,” Hendrick said. “He just understands the car and takes care of it. I think he’s going to do a super job whenever the time comes. I think we’ll surely, probably the second half of next year, we’ll probably see him in some races.”
As far as the plan for 2016 and beyond, that has yet to be announced. Elliott, the 2014 Nationwide Series Champion, is expected by many to move up to Sprint Cup full-time.
Some hinted that he would replace Kasey Kahne in the No. 5 with Kahne’s contract expiring, but HMS announced on Thursday that they have signed Kahne to a three-year extension. Read more about Kahne by clicking here.
The other thought was that Jeff Gordon would retire and Elliott would replace Gordon, but Gordon commented last month that he isn’t even thinking about retirement.
A6 Retirement isn't on my radar. I'm focused on performing my best for #Team24 & going after another championship. @Sisie24 #launchCKP
— Jeff Gordon (@JeffGordonWeb) October 16, 2014
Gordon has a lifetime contract with HMS, and sponsors signed through the 2017 season.
Jimmie Johnson’s contract is up at the end of 2015, but he is expected to resign with years left in his career and his six championships in the past nine years. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is signed through the 2018 season.
So where does that leave Elliott? Looks like there’s no room for the 18-year-old.
