NASCAR is a sport that lives for the action on the track, and sometimes off it as well. While the races themselves can be entertaining in nature, sometimes it is the conflict between the drivers that gets the fans on the edge. Especially when it is two of their favorite drivers going head-to-head, or ending up in a wreck.
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This was recently seen during the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in the Coco Cola 600. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin found himself wrecked out after Chase Elliott apparently right rear-hooked him, ending both of their races at once. The incident was reminiscent of what had taken place a year prior between Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson.
It was sure to say that Hamlin did not like that gesture one bit and called for Elliott’s suspension for one race. Recently, speaking about the incident such as the Elliott-Hamlin case, former NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr delivered his hot take on the incident.
Dale Earnhardt Jr reveals what NASCAR needs
Speaking on his own podcast, Earnhardt Jr revealed the one thing that NASCAR required the most. He elaborated on what went down over social media channels following the incident between Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin at the Coco-Cola 600.
Earnhardt Jr stated, “When I hear the noise for the lack of a better term on the backside of something such as this week, that went down with Chase and Denny. When I hear all the noise on the back… I got on social media for a minute during the race and man it was ablaze!”
He further added, “There was both sides, just like hammering each other. And anybody that stepped in the room like metaphorically, like… oh! sh*t gotta get outta here… All of that noise is exactly what NASCAR needs.”
NASCAR had suspended Chase Elliott after finding out the wreck was intentional
Elliott sat out for the race at the World Wide Technology Raceway after being handed a suspension by NASCAR. Although Elliott had calmly accepted the decision, he never went on to admit that he had intentionally caused the wreck. However, the investigation from NASCAR yielded a different story.
A few days after the incident, NASCAR formalized Elliott’s suspension, citing violations of the Member Code of Conduct Sections 4.3.A. and 4.4.C and D.
This decision followed a review of data which, as per a post shared by Hamlin, seemed to remove all ambiguity. “Removing all doubt. His steering came back to the exact same position it had previously after we came off the wall. The higher the line on steering the further LEFT it’s going,” Hamlin penned in his message on social media.
