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Charges dismissed against Chase Elliott’s spotter; NASCAR reinstates Eddie D’Hondt

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Nashville may be welcoming back the NASCAR Cup Series for the first time in 37 years, but as Nate Ryan explains, the history of racing and the "Music City" are inextricably linked.

NASCAR has reinstated Eddie D’Hondt, spotter for Chase Elliott, after charges against him were dismissed Friday. D’Hondt will return as Elliott’s spotter this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway.

D’Hondt was suspended May 26 by NASCAR and Hendrick Motorsports after it was revealed he had been arrested May 12 by the Hickory (North Carolina) Police Department. He was charged with misdemeanor assault on a female and misdemeanor battery of an unborn child for an incident that took place in Sept. 2020.

The charges were dismissed Friday.

The dismissal stated that “The State cannot prove the above charges beyond a reasonable doubt as there is insufficient evidence to warrant prosecution. Conflicting statements were made by the witnesses and dispositive evidence was never provided by the DA’s Office.”

Hendrick Motorsports said in a statement that D’Hondt will return to be Elliott’s spotter this weekend: “We are pleased about the resolution of this matter and look forward to Eddie D’Hondt re-joining our team this weekend at Nashville Superspeedway.”

In a statement, D’Hondt said: “Mr. D’Hondt is very pleased with today’s announcement of dismissal. He is grateful that based on the diligent efforts of his defense team the District Attorney was able to process this case and ultimately decide it had no merit and the charges levied against him were totally unfounded. Mr. D’Hondt would like to personally thank all the people who have shown him and his family a tremendous amount of support and love. He is glad that justice has won the day and will consider any and all available legal remedies against his accuser. Mr. D’Hondt looks forward to resuming his lengthy career as one of the top spotters in NASCAR.”