“Very patriotic”, “This looks bada**”: Fans approve Chase Elliott’s WW2 Martyr tribute paint scheme for Coca-Cola 600

After the recently wrapped up throwback weekend at the Darlington Raceway, Chase Elliott's #9 Chevy has undergone a new paint scheme for the upcoming Memorial Day Weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway, honoring the World War II martyr TEC5 Clifford Strickland. Fans have unanimously given their approval.

Elliott's Chevy will be wrapped under a dark digital camo pattern, giving a rugged appearance to the winningest manufacturer this season, and the fans have adored the patriotic approach of Hendrick Motorsports.

Clifford Strickland was a member of the 1942 Company C, 803rd Engineer Battalion (Aviation), U.S. Army, and fought against the Japanese soldiers for his country. However, after an intense battle, the soldiers of the Bataan peninsula surrendered on April 9 and were sent to Prisoner of War camps. A few months later, on July 29, Strickland and several other soldiers sacrificed their lives.

At the upcoming Coca-Cola 600 race, Chase Elliott's #9 Chevrolet will run in rough black camouflage to commemorate Clifford's service to the nation. FOX Sports updated the NASCAR fanbase with HMS' new paint scheme, following which approval from the community poured in via X.

One fan highlighted the patriotism visible on the #9 Chevy and commented:

"Very patriotic."

"About as exciting as his personality," another fan wrote.

"This looks bada**! 🔥🔥👍," a fan expressed.

One fan loved the paint scheme so much that they expressed their desire to own one and added:

"Give me this diecast IMMEDIATELY"

One fan believed it to be Chase Elliott's best paint scheme ever and wrote:

"@chaseelliott ’s best paint scheme yet 💯💯💯🔥🔥🔥"

"FIRE," another fan opined.

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A look into Chase Elliott's Clifford Strickland honor paint scheme Chevrolet

The 600 miles of high-octane action will commence on Sunday, May 26, at 6.00 PM ET, and the drivers will be battling for the highly-coveted win during the Memorial Day Weekend.

To honor Clifford Strickland and other soldiers who sacrificed their lives, HMS created the dark digital design for Chase Elliott's #9 Chevy. The all-black paint with the #9 and NAPA Parts emblem embossed in white creates a contrasted look, allowing both colors to stand out independently.

Moreover, the majority of the car is black and white, except for the yellow Goodyear branding on the rubber and the sponsors, Coca-Cola and Hooters' logo.

However, the most notable tribute could be seen on the driver-side window, where instead of Elliott's name, TEC5 Clifford Strickland has been embedded while the Georgian native's name is on the rear window screen (via Hendrick Motorsports on X):

Strickland, along with over 2500 soldiers, was captured and tasked with rigorous punishments. The POWs were induced to do the gut-wrenching 65-mile Bataan Death March and faced severe physical abuse.

Moreover, the situation was so dire that any soldier caught resting on the ground was shot without a second thought. The North Carolina-based outfit yearned to make the martyr's sacrifice felt in the upcoming NASCAR race.