The full and storied history of the No. 9 in NASCAR is no secret to its fans, but particularly to those in Dawson County and northeast Georgia.
So when the Hendrick Motorsports announcement came last week that Chase Elliott would move from the No. 24 to the number so intimately linked to his dad, NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Bill Elliott, the excitement and support were immediate.
“This was shocking,” said President of the Georgia Racing Hall of Fame and local historian Gordon Pirkle.
Chase Elliott to take back the No. 9 in 2018 for Hendrick