Popular Chase Elliott sponsor rumored to leave NASCAR amid sudden absence at Nashville

Chase Elliott’s well-known sponsor, 'Hooters,' is rumored to have cut ties with Hendrick Motorsports, and by extension, NASCAR. A fan noted on X (formerly known as Twitter) that during Sunday’s Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway, Chase Elliott’s racing suit and car were missing the Hooters logo.

Additionally, Hooters is no longer listed on the Hendrick Motorsports partner page on their website, and the Hooters Racing URL now just redirects to the restaurant's homepage. The development follows the recent closure of at least 44 Hooters locations across 14 states, a move the chain attributed to “pressure from current market conditions,” according to USA TODAY.

Hooters had been a primary sponsor for Chase Elliott for the past eight years and had renewed its sponsorship through 2024 back in 2021. Hooters' involvement with NASCAR stretches back over three decades, famously serving as the full-time sponsor for Alan Kulwicki during his championship-winning season in 1992.

Chase Elliott is scheduled to sport the Hooters paint scheme once more this season at Richmond in August, though it's up in the air whether this will go ahead. When Elliott won the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400 race at Texas Motor Speedway, he was under the Hooters banner. Reflecting on their long-standing partnership and his victory, Elliott expressed after the Texas race:

"Hooters has been a partner of ours for a number of years now. It's been a dream of mine to pay respect to the late Alan Kulwicki. Driving this car to a victory and doing a 'Polish Victory Lap.' Really crazy how things came full circle there in that moment. It was pretty emotional for me. He beat Dad back in the day, and here we are, sharing his sponsor and having an opportunity to win today."

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Chase Elliott lost control from sixth to finish another top-20

Chase Elliott's hopes for a strong finish took a hit at the Ally 400 in Nashville. Starting in ninth place, Elliott was vying for sixth with Ty Gibbs when his #9 Chevy lost grip at the corner exit, sending him spinning through the grass.

Although Elliott's car didn't sustain major damage from the spin, the mishap cost him several positions on track and dashed his chances of becoming the first-ever repeat NASCAR Cup Series winner at the 1.33-mile speedway. Despite the setback he managed to stay on the lead lap, finishing the race in 18th place, which earned him 24 points. The finish helped him maintain his second place in the standings, trailing Kyle Larson by 20 points.

So far this season, Chase Elliott has claimed one win, seven top-5 finishes, and nine top-10s from 19 starts. Interestingly, although he's the only driver in the top five who has led fewer than 200 laps, he's also the only one to have not finished outside the top 20 in any race so far.