Chase Elliott's spotter retires ahead of 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season

Eddie D’Hondt, the long-time spotter for Chase Elliott and Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR Cup Series, has announced that he will not return to the role in 2024. He made the announcement on Saturday (December 2).

D’Hondt has established himself as one of the best spotters in NASCAR's top-tier series in the last decade. He revealed the end of his tenure as spotter with the #9 Hendrick Motorsports team through a tweet on X, formerly Twitter.

Expressing his feelings in a tweet, Chase Elliott’s spotter wrote:

“Been a helluva run.. 12 yrs, 26 wins, 2020 Champs. Thank you to: Mr. Hendrick, Jeff Gordon, Chase Elliott, Alan Gustafson. 468 races together, 26 wins & a [championship]. Lastly, my dude Kevin Hamlin. A career to many, a wonderful lifetime memory, for us all. Excited for what’s next.”

It's worth noting that Elliott’s spotter hasn't used the word retirement in his tweet and has expressed excitement about what's coming next. This would lead you to believe that he'll continue working in NASCAR but in a different role.

Eddie D'Hondt worked with Jeff Gordon from 2012 to 2016 and scored eight wins during that period. When Gordon retired from the sport in 2016, D’Hondt was paired with Elliott and contributed to his maiden Cup championship win in 2020.

As a spotter, he has contributed in 26 wins and a title in his 12 years of spotting career. He has served as spotter for Elliott and Gordon in a combined 468 races.

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Chase Elliott praised his #9 HMS Chevrolet team despite an ordinary 2023 season

For the first time, the #9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver has failed to qualify for the playoffs this year. The season was hard for him and the #9 HMS team but he praised and backed his entire team for always supporting and working hard on every race week.

Elliott said (via Racer):

“I want to be better and I think, as I’ve expressed, I feel like I have a really, really strong team, and the guys are working hard every week to try to give me the things that I want and need, and that’s really all you can ask for.

“I just want to continue on that path and continue to work hard like we have been, and I think the hard work and resilience of not quitting and not giving up will eventually get us to where we need to go.”