The #9 Hendrick Motorsports entry driven by Chase Elliott was slated to have Hooters as its primary sponsor for the upcoming Richmond race on Sunday but it’s now going to be Coca-Cola. The news was recently shared by HMS and the new paint scheme courtesy of the soft-drink manufacturer had fans going crazy.
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Chase Elliott will be driving a car adorned with the iconic bright red color of the beverage heavyweight when NASCAR returns from its two-week Olympic break. Elliott’s father, Bill Elliott is also one of the many drivers the company has sponsored in its history in NASCAR.
Racing just got refreshing! Introducing the new @CocaColaRacing paint scheme. 🥤 pic.twitter.com/dzQcsymYjR
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) August 6, 2024
Hooter’s alliance with Rick Hendrick’s outfit came to an end abruptly this season. Despite being together for six years, Hooters were unable to complete their business obligations which led to HMS parting ways with the popular restaurant chain.
“Due to these unfortunate and unexpected circumstances, and despite extensive efforts on both sides to identify a workable solution, it became necessary for Hendrick Motorsports to end the relationship,” a release from the team stated.
The 2020 NASCAR Cup Series champion joins an elite list of race car drivers sponsored by Coca-Cola. The list includes Austin Dillon, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, and Daniel Suarez. In a separate video released by HMS, Elliott spoke about how his family already had a relationship with the beverage brand and that he was excited for the future. Winning a race draped in Coca-Cola colors would be the perfect start to the new partnership.
Excited to have @CocaColaRacing along for the ride at Richmond! pic.twitter.com/yhD2ck43i1
— Hendrick Motorsports (@TeamHendrick) August 6, 2024
The driver of the #9 car has already won a race this year and is through to the playoffs. Currently, he is in a regular-season championship fight against teammate Kyle Larson. Elliott sits P2 in the championship at the moment, 10 points behind the leader Larson. It remains to be seen which one of the HMS drivers will seal the regular season deal.
NASCAR fans fawn over Coca-Cola paint scheme
Race fans might not be into the nitty gritty of a sponsorship agreement but one thing everyone can appreciate is how a car looks. And Chase Elliott’s paint scheme for the Cook Out 400 is iconic, to say the least. That bright red color with Coca-Cola painted on the side caught a lot of people’s attention. The car will be one to look out for on Sunday.
“Gotta say, that’s deliciously red,” one user commented. “I like it! very crisp and refreshing,” quipped another. The overall consensus from fans was mostly positive. Elliott is already one of the most popular drivers the sport has ever seen. An eye-catching paint scheme was only going to please fans even further.
“Wow…. best looking special paint scheme all year. Equal to the all Blue NAPA,” one user wrote. “Coca Cola has always had the perfect logo for a race car design. They’re versatile. This is sleek,” commented another. The 2020 champion will be hoping to perform well this Sunday at Richmond. The 2024 Cook Out 400 goex live from the 0.750-mile-long track at 6:00 pm ET.
