Back in 2017, Hendrick Motorsports surprised the NASCAR world by announcing that Chase Elliott would switch to the iconic No. 9 from 2018. That’s a number deeply rooted in his family’s racing heritage.
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The move left William Byron to inherit the No. 24 for his rookie season. Elliott, fresh off a European trip with friends that included Ryan Blaney of Wood Brothers Racing, admitted he was caught unawares.
Elliott, while commenting on it at the time, had credited Dale Earnhardt Jr. for helping him secure the number. Elliott revisited the moment recently on BobbyCast, revealing how Dale Jr. urged him to speak up before the opportunity slipped away.
According to the HMS driver, Junior deserves the real credit because he sensed how badly Elliott wanted the switch. But Elliott had stayed quiet about it. Junior then pushed him to act, warning that 2018 would bring changes that might close the window for good.
Elliott thanked Junior for the nudge and reached out to Rick Hendrick. The request eventually landed with Richard Petty, who still owned the number. The King stepped aside willingly, recognizing the weight of its ties with the Elliott family. Petty felt it would be fitting for Chase to carry it forward.
On the latest episode of his podcast, Dale Jr. laid out his side of the story. He said Elliott hesitated because he didn’t want to let down Hendrick or Jeff Gordon by abandoning the No. 24, even though his heart leaned toward the No. 9.
“I went to Chase and I just said, ‘Hey man! If you wanted to change, you better do it soon,” recalled Junior.
“You’re building some equity with this 24, but it’s not too late to change, and it not be like a kind of awkward thing.’ So, he’s like, ‘Oh, no. I ain’t going to ask for that. I’m okay.’ And I’m like, ‘Well, would you want to?’ He goes, ‘Yeah, I would, but I’m okay,’” he added.
Junior then recalled how he approached Hendrick directly to pitch the idea, noting that Byron was a natural successor to Gordon’s number. “I went to Rick and I said, ‘Rick. Man… I got an idea,” he recalled.
“Elliot in the number 9 is a big win for everybody… This would be insane. The fans would love this- Chase in the number nine and for him to get this done now and be able to hopefully run the next 20 years with this number racking up more equity in the number and the history of the number.’ So he’s like he’s like ‘I’d be fine with that,’” added Dale Jr.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. got asked about this on today’s Ask Jr and gave his side of the story on getting Chase Elliott to switch to No. 9 in Cup.
Jr got the sense that Chase didn’t want to disappoint Rick Hendrick or Jeff Gordon by not using the No. 24 even though he really wanted… https://t.co/DLFa3TKJG9 pic.twitter.com/FF6qJReAR8
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) September 16, 2025
Junior then called Elliott back, telling him Hendrick was open to the proposition but that he needed to step up and make it happen.
“I knew down in there somewhere that that’s really truly what he wanted, but he didn’t want to disappoint Jeff and Rick, and I think for me, the number (24) fits Byron,” Junior explained.
The No. 9 has passed through many hands, including Len Brown, Frank Luptow, Joe Weatherly, Roy Tyner, and Pete Hamilton. But it was Chase’s father, Bill Elliott, who made it legendary with 36 wins over 14 years.
Chase began his Cup career in Gordon’s No. 24 but has since made his own legacy in the number his father made famous. Since taking over the No. 9, Elliott has tallied 20 Cup wins, including his first career victory. He won the 2020 championship.
