Chase Elliott will showcase a new scheme on the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro this weekend at Richmond Raceway.
The stock car will feature a red-and-white scheme as Coca-Cola takes over as the primary sponsor. Restaurant chain Slim Chickens will serve as one of the associate partners for the return to the .75-mile Virginia short track.
Things go better with Coke.@chaseelliott will drive the No. 9 @CocaCola car this weekend at Richmond. pic.twitter.com/HhrlEdLPTm
— Coca-Cola Racing (@CocaColaRacing) August 6, 2024
This is a fitting choice for Elliott considering that he is a member of the Coca-Cola NASCAR family. He joins Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Daniel Suarez, and Austin Dillon on the list of drivers representing the soda brand at NASCAR's highest level.
This partnership between Elliott and Coca-Cola began ahead of the 2023 Cup Series season. Hendrick Motorsports announced on Feb. 16, 2023, that Coca-Cola would be the official beverage partner of the 2020 Cup champion and the No. 9 team.
The Richmond race was originally set aside for a different sponsor. The No. 9 Chevrolet was going to have a Hooters scheme, but a major change at Hendrick Motorsports created an opening for Coca-Cola.
Hendrick Motorsports confirmed to AltDriver and other media outlets on July 1 that it had ended its relationship with Hooters. The team said in a statement that the restaurant chain had been unable to fulfill some of its obligations.
The decision followed Hooters having to close nearly 40 restaurant locations across the country due to "financial challenges." Hooters said in a June 26 statement that these stores were underperforming and that plans still remained for new locations both domestic and internationally.
"Hooters has been a valued partner of Hendrick Motorsports since 2017, contributing to our shared successes both on and off the track," Hendrick Motorsports said in a statement shared with AltDriver. "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."