Chase Elliott, Hendrick land NAPA as Sprint Cup Series sponsor

Chase Elliott won't replace Jeff Gordon in Hendrick Motorsports' No. 24 car for nine more months, but he already has a primary sponsor for his new ride.

NAPA Auto Parts announced Wednesday it will sponsor Elliott in 24 races for each of the young driver's first three seasons in the Sprint Cup Series (2016-18) as the company moves up with him from the Xfinity Series, where he is the defending champion.

Elliott, who has made two Cup starts this season, will be eligible to compete for Rookie of the Year honors next year.

"I'm so fortunate to work with a company like NAPA," Elliott said. "They've been behind me 100%, and I never take that support for granted. Continuing the relationship means a lot, and I know the entire team is focused on making it as successful as possible. It's going to be a lot of fun."

The last few years have been a roller coaster ride for NAPA, which was formerly a sponsor at Michael Waltrip Racing. But the company pulled out after a race manipulation scandal in 2013 and was set to leave NASCAR altogether until it decided to take a chance on sponsoring Elliott's Xfinity Series ride at JR Motorsports last year.

That partnership immediately paid off, as Elliott took NAPA to the championship in his first season. He is currently third in the standings this year.

Now NAPA will move to the Cup level along with Elliott, a rising star and the son of Hall of Famer Bill Elliott.

"We have an incredible opportunity with NAPA, both on and off the track," team owner Rick Hendrick said. "Our organizations work extremely well together and share many of the same values. The program already has a ton of positive momentum, and we want to carry that into 2016 with great performance in all areas of the business. We take a lot of pride in the relationship and are committed to making a big impact for NAPA."

The remaining 12 races of sponsorship for Elliott will be announced at a later date, the team said.

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PHOTOS: Chase Elliott's racing career