CONCORD, N.C. -- Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway marked the end of an era for Hendrick Motorsports in many ways.
One major change came in the form of Chase Elliott's ride.
Sunday, the driver made his last start in the No. 24 NAPA AUTO PARTS Chevrolet SS. Next year, he will climb behind the wheel of the No. 9 car.
Took this photo in January of 2015, the day we announced I was going to drive the 24 the next year. It’s been a great honor to carry those numbers the past two years, and I sure would love to end it on a high note tonight. For one more day... #2the4ront
A post shared by Chase Elliott (@chaseelliott24) on
Elliott had made it clear how important it was to him to leave his own mark on the No. 24, and he closed out the season with yet another strong result -- his sixth top-five finish of the 10-race NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
“It was solid," Elliott said. "To finish fifth in the standings and to run fifth (at Homestead), it definitely was not a win, but from where we were (Saturday) to how we ran at the beginning of the race and so on, I was pretty pleased with that."
Now, with the 2017 campaign in the books, his full attention can turn toward 2018. And he's ready to keep the momentum rolling in his new ride.
"Have some work to do," the driver said. "I’m excited about next year -- we have some great things to build on."