Chase Elliott’s #9 Chevy will sport a paint scheme this year that pays tribute to Kenny Schrader’s 1994 HMS Chevrolet, with his whole team rallying behind the theme. Yet, his recent remarks critiquing the “Throwback Weekend” — an event NASCAR initiated in 2015 to celebrate its history — have stirred up some controversy. Despite this, the NASCAR’s ‘Most Popular Driver’ continues to enjoy strong fan support.
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In a media session before the Darlington race, Elliott shared his thoughts on the throwback celebration, remarking –
“I thought I lost it (its luster) about four or five years ago, so I was way too early to that conversation, I think… Not to be a downer — I joked about this years ago, but if we kept going down the road, we’re going to be throwing it back to me in 2018.”
He further added, “At some point, I think we’ve got to chill on it a little bit. I think we’ve rode the horse to death, and we tend to do that a little bit too much.”
Elliott‘s dismissive comments about the Throwback Weekend ruffled feathers among NASCAR insiders, yet they resonated with a segment of the fan base who voiced their agreement on social media platform X.
>puts out this year’s worst throwback
>says throwback weekend is dead
>refuses to elaborate https://t.co/z0NAUOgUIn— DennyDeliversYT (@DennyDelivers2) April 5, 2025
One fan critically noted, “It is dead. Half the field doesn’t participate and with the number placement now they all look shitty. The xfinity series is keeping it alive barely,” pinpointing the challenges sponsorship obligations pose to throwback schemes.
Another fan expressed, “I don’t care for Chase Elliott but he’s right this time. Throwback weekend has run its course and burned out after the first 2 years of doing it.”
Further expanding on this point, another commenter added, “I’ll elaborate then… this was supposed to be a NASCAR throwback but since there’s only a certain number of schemes especially old ones it’s hard to do. Which is why dudes are running 2014 and non nascar (the whole point is nascar throwback) schemes.”
Elliott’s teammate supports his stance
William Byron, currently leading the driver standings with a Daytona 500 victory and three top-5 finishes this season, concurred with his teammate Chase Elliott’s critique of the Throwback Weekend. During a press session, when questioned about his views on the throwback-themed liveries, Byron responded:
“It’s definitely run its course. I feel like we’ve had so many of them it’s really hard to get it between 40 cars; like you cover most of the paint schemes at some point.
“So, I think maybe it’s something where you bring it back every few years or maybe you go to different racetracks or something… Maybe it’s just getting a bit repetitive.”
It remains to be seen whether NASCAR will consider Byron’s suggestions for revitalizing the event. Meanwhile, all competitors, whether sporting throwback liveries or not, are currently getting ready for Darlington, aiming to secure or strengthen their positions in the playoff standings.
