Chase Elliott set to miss NASCAR’s Las Vegas race

Chase Elliott will miss this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after sustaining a leg injury. The Hendrick Motorsports driver injured his left leg in a snowboarding accident in Colorado on Friday.

The news was shared by the team, as Rick Hendrick, the team owner, said in a press release:

"Chase’s health is our primary concern. He’s spoken with several members of our team and is understandably disappointed to miss time in the car. Of course, he has our full support, and we’ll provide any resources he needs. We hope to share another update later this weekend."

The statement released by Hendrick Motorsport didn’t reveal any additional details about the injuries sustained or the recovery time. Team officials are scheduled to participate in the pre-race press conference on Saturday at noon (ET time). More updates about the driver's condition will be shared by the team at the press conference.

Josh Berry will take the wheel of #9 this weekend for the Pennzoil 400. The 32-year-old driver competes in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for JR Motorsports. He has five wins in the junior series, with two victories in Las Vegas.

Berry has two Cup series starts under his belt, with a best finish of 26th at Michigan International Speedway. JR Motorsports' affiliation with Hendrick Motorsports has allowed Berry to pull double duty on NASCAR's weekend in Sin City.

Elliott is scheduled to undergo surgery on Friday evening. The 27-year-old has not missed a race since his full-time debut at the Daytona 500 in 2016. The #9 driver has since made 254 consecutive starts.

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NASCAR Truck Series champion has unfinished business at Las Vegas

Reigning NASCAR Truck Series champion Zane Smith appears to be a man on a mission in Las Vegas. Last year, the #38 driver finished the race second behind Chandler Smith. However, he was disqualified due to a lug nut violation and was classified as 36th.

After winning the season opener at Daytona, Smith returns to the track where he believes the team has unfinished business to settle.

Speaking about the victory at the season opener, Smith said:

"It's a long season, but we're off to a great start. Just like last season, it feels good. The team worked hard during the offseason, and it was rewarded at Daytona.

He added:

"But Vegas, we have some unfinished business there. It was frustrating leaving there with a penalty last year. Everyone on the team wants to get this win. We were fast last year, and I hope we can make up for last year."

Zane Smith won’t have an easy race as Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain, and John H. Nemechek will take part in the truck race.

Kyle Busch started on the pole for the Truck Series race, while Smith started on the fourth row.