In a heated moment, Denny Hamlin once called out Chase Elliott for deliberately wrecking him during the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The incident saw both drivers forced out of the race, and Hamlin, frustrated with Elliott’s actions, publicly stated that Elliott didn’t deserve to race after the intentional move. The event eventually led to a one-race suspension for Elliott.
The incident unfolded when Hamlin, driving the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, squeezed Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet into the wall on lap 186. In retaliation, Elliott hooked the right rear of Hamlin’s car, causing a crash that ended the race for both. During a post-race interview, Hamlin did not hold back his criticism, stating that Elliott’s actions were reckless and deserving of a suspension.
“It’s a tantrum, and he shouldn’t be racing next week,” Hamlin said emphatically. “Right rear hooks are absolutely unacceptable.”
Hamlin went on to compare the incident to a similar wreck from 2022 involving Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson at Las Vegas, where Wallace intentionally wrecked Larson after contact. Hamlin saw the two incidents as nearly identical, further bolstering his argument that Elliott should be penalized.
“It’s the same thing Bubba Wallace did with Kyle Larson… the exact same,” Hamlin said, referencing the past altercation.
Hamlin concluded his statements by reinforcing his view that Elliott’s behavior on the track was unacceptable. “He shouldn’t be racing. It’s a tantrum.”
As a result of the incident, Chase Elliott was suspended for one race, forcing him to sit out the event at World Wide Technology Raceway in Illinois, where Hamlin ended up finishing second behind Kyle Busch. Hendrick Motorsports chose not to appeal the suspension and tapped Corey LaJoie to fill in for Elliott in the No. 9 car for that race.
This suspension came during an already challenging season for Elliott. The race in Illinois marked the seventh event he had missed in 2023, six of which were due to an injury sustained earlier in the year. Elliott was sidelined for six races after breaking his leg in a snowboarding accident. The combined absences significantly impacted Elliott’s season and his chances at making the playoffs.
The struggles carried throughout the year as Chase Elliott closed out the season without a single race victory. Despite notching seven top-5 and 15 top-10 finishes, Elliott’s winless year was his first since his second season in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2017. The setbacks also caused Elliott to miss the playoffs, a rare occurrence for the 2020 Cup Series champion.
In the most recent race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season at Kansas Speedway, Elliott put in a solid performance, climbing from the back of the field to finish 9th. After experiencing engine issues on Saturday, his team was unable to post a qualifying lap, forcing Elliott to start at the rear of the grid. Despite the setback, he fought through the pack for a top-10 finish.
However, Elliott expressed dissatisfaction with his team’s overall performance, citing poor pit stops as a key issue during the Kansas race weekend. In a conversation with NBC Sports motorsports journalist Dustin Long, Elliott shared his frustrations, acknowledging that while the car had the speed to move forward, pit road struggles held the team back.
“We just had an uphill battle, it seemed like all day. I really thought our car was pretty good,” Elliott said. “We were able to move forward long ways, it seemed like. Because we had a bad pit pick, ultimately it puts you in a bad position to lose spots on pit road. So, it seemed like we would get a bunch of spots and then lose a bunch of spots from the pit road thing.”
Despite these issues, Elliott remained pleased with his top-10 finish, especially given the tough start to the race. “We tried to claw back up, fall back up in the top-10. It was nice to at least get that one,” he added.
Looking ahead, Chase Elliott will aim to continue his playoff run with hopes of improving at the upcoming YellaWood 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, set to take place on October 6. As the season progresses, Elliott and his team will be pushing to overcome their mid-race struggles and return to the front of the pack.
With tensions still high from past incidents and a competitive field ahead, the remainder of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season promises more intense racing and dramatic moments on the track.
