The No. 9 Chevrolet will remind NASCAR fans of another Hendrick Motorsports driver as it completes laps around Darlington Raceway. Chase Elliott will channel Ken Schrader during the April 6 Goodyear 400.
Unveiled Tuesday, the No. 9 Hendrick Chevrolet will feature a green, grey, and white scheme with UniFirst logos on the hood and sides. This isn't an exact recreation of the black, green, and white No. 25 Kodiak Chevrolet; it is more of a tribute.
Still, it will remind NASCAR fans of the days when Schrader was competing at iconic facilities around the United States.
Photo credit: Hendrick Motorsports
It was during the 1994 season, in particular, in which he finished fourth in the championship standings behind Dale Earnhardt, Mark Martin, and Rusty Wallace. Schrader didn't win a race in 1994, but he finished second at Bristol Motor Speedway in the spring.
Schrader never captured a Cup Series win at Darlington Raceway during his career -- his best finish at the track was third in 1991. However, Elliott will have an opportunity to put a version of his Hendrick Motorsports scheme into victory lane.
The 2020 Cup Series champion is similar to Schrader in that he has yet to win a race at Darlington at NASCAR's top level. Elliott has made 16 starts at The Lady in Black, and he has finished inside the top five in four of them. His best finish at Darlington was third in the 2023 Throwback Weekend race.
Throwback Weekend is the annual tribute to racing history. Teams throughout the Craftsman Truck Series, Xfinity Series, and Cup Series will bring special schemes to Darlington Raceway. They will showcase these schemes honoring the biggest names in motorsports while competing for the win.
Throwback Weekend is two weeks away, so some teams have unveiled their tribute schemes. Elliott's nod to Schrader is the latest example. Josh Berry also revealed that he and Wood Brothers Racing will honor Jim Clark, the winner of the 1965 Indy 500.