When Rick Hendrick revealed his ‘plan’ about Chase Elliott's retirement from NASCAR: "That’s an ongoing situation with me"

Rick Hendrick once laid bare his plan to keep Chase Elliott at Hendrick Motorsports until he retired from NASCAR. The billionaire team owner opened up during the mid-2021 season after extending Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman's contracts through 2023.

Elliott, the son of 16-time Most Popular Driver and 1988 Cup Series champion, Bill Elliott, is himself the 2020 Cup Series champion and a seven-time Most Popular Driver Awards winner, with the most recent honor received in the past season.

After driving two full-time Xfinity seasons for Dale Jr.'s JR Motorsports and bagging a title and a runner-up spot in the standings respectively, Elliott took a big step in his career, joining HMS for a full-time Cup Series campaign in 2016. Five years down the line, Elliott drove his #9 Chevrolet Camaro to the Cup Series title.

Rick Hendrick had all of his drivers locked through the 2022 season but, for the time being, could only extend Larson and Bowman's contract through 2023. However, he had already planned for Elliott's perpetual stay at HMS, including his teammate William Byron, the iRacing prodigy turned NASCAR star.

"My plan is for Chase and William to retire with us, so that’s an ongoing situation with me. I love the lineup right now, and I want to keep the band together,” Hendrick said via NASCAR.

After making no further moves in 2021, Hendrick inked a breakthrough five-year deal with Elliott the following year.

When Chase Elliott opened up about his five-year contract extension

Since when he was a 15-year-old high school freshman, Chase Elliott has been linked to Hendrick Motorsports. Their collaboration shone bright in the Cup Series, with Elliott consecutively making the playoffs in all six seasons before the contract got extended.

Moreover, in 2021, Elliott entered as a defending champion and punched a second consecutive Championship ticket, but fell shy of another title. However, his consistent performance and year-on-year improvement made him a sought-after driver Hendrick didn't want to let go.

After signing the five-year deal through 2027, a day before the season-opener Daytona 500, Elliott expressed being fortunate to have landed the extension.

“I feel so fortunate to be in this position. I have a great team with leadership from Alan (Gustafson, crew chief) and the support of the best car owner and racing organization in the world. For me, there’s a lot of pride in driving for Hendrick Motorsports and having the opportunity to win races and compete for championships," Chase Elliott said via HMS' release.

It's worth mentioning that when Chase Elliott safeguarded his future in the long haul, his resume already boasted a Cup title and 13 race wins. Presently, the #9 Chevy driver has 19 points-paying wins to his name, the most recent being the 2024 Texas race.

Elliott recently claimed the Clash victory, at the Bowman Gray Stadium, joining Dale Sr. and Jr.'s father-son as the only duo to win the preseason exhibition race.