Elliott out six weeks; Hendrick names fill-ins
With Chase Elliott expected to miss about six weeks with a broken left leg, Hendrick Motorsports will turn to Josh Berry and sports car racer Jordan Taylor to fill in for NASCAR’S most popular driver.
Hendrick provided a timetable for Elliott’s recovery Tuesday while saying Berry will continue to drive the No. 9 Chevrolet on ovals and Taylor will make his Cup Series debut on the road course at Circuit of the Americas in Texas this month.
Berry will be behind the wheel Sunday when NASCAR runs at Phoenix Raceway.
Elliott fractured his tibia snowboarding in Colorado last week and was released from the hospital the following day after a three-hour surgery. The 2020 Cup Series champion is rehabilitating in Colorado.
Hendrick General Manager Jeff Andrews said the team has begun the process for attaining a NASCAR waiver that would allow Elliott to be eligible for this season’s playoff. Waivers have been granted to other drivers for various circumstances, including injuries.
In the meantime, Berry and Taylor will continue collecting points for the team. Berry finished 29th at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Sunday.
Berry drives for Hendrick affiliate JR Motorsports and is a five-time race winner in the second-tier Xfinity Series.
OLYMPIC SPORTS
The federation that runs Olympic badminton in the United States reached a
$1 million settlement with an employee who contended he was terminated for going against leadership’s wishes and filing a complaint about sex-abuse allegations to the U.S. Center for Safesport.
The agreement to pay former chief of staff Alistair Casey was signed by USA Badminton CEO Linda French and Casey in January. The case stemmed from a then-nine-year-old allegation about a coach who sexually assaulted a teenage player. . . .
A top Russian gymnastics coach whose athletes won numerous Olympic gold medals was suspended following vehement criticism of judges who ended Russia’s winning streak in rhythmic gymnastics at the Tokyo Olympics.
The Gymnastics Ethics Foundation, which handles international disciplinary cases, barred Irina Viner from coaching or officiating at any competitions in international gymnastics for two years. . . . The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee is receiving a record $10 million donation to support its expanding mental health programming. The donation, which is the largest stand-alone gift in the 10year history of the committee’s charitable arm, comes from the Rieschel Family Foundation headed by longtime supporters Yucca and Gary Rieschel.
COLLEGES
Xander Dickson and Patrick Mcintosh scored six goals apiece to lead the No. 1-ranked Virginia men’s lacrosse team to an 18-13 victory over No. 10 Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
The Cavaliers improved to 5-0, and the Blue Jays fell to 4-3. . . .
Maryland’s baseball team scored six runs in the eighth inning to beat Maryland Baltimore County, 12-6, at Bob “Turtle” Smith Stadium.
Matt Woods, who had already delivered an RBI single in the third inning, had the big hit in the eighth for Maryland with a threerun triple.
The Terrapins improved to 5-7, and the Retrievers fell to 4-4.