"It was impossible to say no": Chase Elliott's replacement at COTA excited to make his NASCAR debut

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott will be out of NASCAR for six weeks. He is recovering from a leg fracture he suffered in a skiing incident. The #9 driver is currently undergoing rehabilitation in Colorado.

Chase Elliott's team has announced Jordan Taylor and Josh Berry as substitutes.

Based on the timeline announced by the team, Elliott could make a comeback in late April if he is cleared to drive. Until then, Josh Berry will pilot the #9 car in the oval races while Jordan Taylor will drive in the road course race at COTA.

Jordan Taylor competes in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for Corvette Racing. The endurance driver will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut at COTA on March 26.

Speaking to SiriusXM, Taylor expressed his excitement, saying:

"It was impossible to say no, but as soon as I said yes my brain went from 'oh, this would be awesome' to 'oh my gosh, this is happening'."

Taylor won the 2017 '24 Hours of Daytona' and is a three-time IMSA SportsCar champion. The 31-year-old driver returns to the track where he has two victories from four starts in the endurance races.

The veteran IMSA driver is helping the Hendricks Motorsports Garage 56 program for its entry into the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The endurance driver has never driven a next-gen car and is spending his time in the simulator preparing for his debut. In the interview, Taylor stated the difference between the two cars and went on to say:

"Going into the next-gen car will be a bit eye-opening for me, much different from what I drive sports cars and Corvettes, it's gonna be a different animal to understand."

Rick Hendrick, the owner of Hendrick Motorsports, is confident about the team's decision to go with Jordan, as he said:

"Jordan is a world-class road racer and has recently been working with our Garage 56 team preparing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He’ll be able to step in and do a great job at COTA."

While the 31-year-old is nervous about making his debut in NASCAR's premier category, he is ready to make an impression at the race in Austin.

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Chase Elliott's return timeline

Chase Elliott missed the third race of the season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The #9 driver is expected to make a comeback on April 23 for the race weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.

Josh Berry took the wheel of the #9 car at Las Vegas finishing the race in 29th position. The Xfinity driver will continue as Hendrick Motorsports' fourth entry in the next five oval races.

Berry will pilot the #9 car at Phoenix Raceway, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Richmond Raceway, Bristol Motor Speedway, and Martinsville Raceway.

Before Chase Elliott returns, the substitute drivers will get a chance to showcase their prowess in NASCAR's top category.