Chase Elliott’s former spotter moves to SHR, teams up with Josh Berry for 2024 NASCAR season

Chase Elliott's crew at Rick Hendrick's racing outfit was due for a change, as announced by his spotter himself. Eddie D’Hondt, who announced his retirement during the first week of this month, left the team after 12 years and a championship title under his belt. Elliott is the Hendrick Motorsports driver of the #9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1.

The former Hendrick Motorsports employee was best known for spotting Jeff Gordon on the team, followed by Chase Elliott, especially during the latter's championship run in 2020. The latest development by D'Hondt comes in the form of his new home in NASCAR, which happens to be Tony Stewart's racing team.

Announced as the spotter for 2024 Cup Series driver Josh Berry, Eddie D'Hondt will join Stewart-Haas Racing next year, accompanying the Xfinity Series driver in his full-time Cup Series role.

The official announcement came from the team itself via an X (formerly Twitter) post that divulged the complete spotter roster for the team next year.

"Ready to tune in to this crew in 2024."

It remains to be seen how Josh Berry as a driver new to the Cup Series gels with Eddie D'Hondt, who simultaneously adapts to a new team environment.

---

Chase Elliott ranks No.1 in merchandise and trackside sales

Building further upon what is a crown synonymous with Chase Elliott, the Hendrick Motorsports driver certainly has a cult following. Often regarded as NASCAR's most popular driver, including winning the award in 2023, the #9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver was also the one to sell most merchandise this year.

Despite not making it to the playoffs in 2023, the 28-year-old driver managed to sell the most amount of trackside goodies, followed by teammate Kyle Larson. The likes of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch were also featured in the list.

While Chase Elliott led the drivers in terms of trackside sales, NASCAR itself topped the chart after a record growth of 27% since 2022. The information was released by NASCAR themselves, with the upward trend continuing since 2015.

Meanwhile, drivers focus on recuperating well during the off season, with fans already looking forward to the start of the 2024 season. The Busch Light Clash at the LA Memorial Coliseum kicks things off with exhibition-style racing in February 2024. The action is followed by Bluegreen Vacations Duels and the iconic Daytona 500 at the Florida tri-oval before drivers head towards the west coast swing of the season.