Against the backdrop of Bubba Wallace’s suspension after his retaliation against Kyle Larson in Las Vegas last year, many in the NASCAR world were curious to see what penalty beckoned Chase Elliott after what transpired at the Charlotte Motor Speedway last week. The controversy started after Joe Gibbs Racing’s Denny Hamlin was wrecked by the Hendrick Motorsports star in the Coca-Cola 600, drawing widespread condemnation from observers and analysts alike, with Hamlin publicly asking for a suspension.
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A suspension did come, as Chase Elliott had to sit out the Enjoy Illinois 300 this week. In the context of how the season has gone, and the penalties that have been awarded, the suspension only seemed fair, and is something team boss Rick Hendrick agrees with.
Rick Hendrick Gives His Take on the Chase Elliott Suspension
The Hendrick Motorsports owner believes that in light of the aggression seen in NASCAR this season, NASCAR had to do something. He said, “Until something was done, I think that kind of rough racing was going to continue.” Days after Dale Earnhardt Jr. said that these encounters are “exactly what NASCAR needs“, Hendrick expressed that the durability of the Next Gen cars allows the drivers to be extra aggressive, something that has been evident during the season so far.
Drivers getting suspended for retaliation is something that Rick Hendrick is not a stranger to; 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace was suspended last year for a similar incident against Elliott’s teammate, Kyle Larson.
Hendrick Motorsports Boss Wants Chase Elliott to Use Caution
After going all the way to the 2022 Championship Four in an impressive season, 2023 has been nothing short of a disappointment for the Hendrick Motorsports driver. Elliott missed six races at the start of the season because of a broken leg from a snowboarding incident and has been winless so far. Now that he returns to Sonoma, he will be looking to get his first win of the season and make a run for the playoffs.
When asked about what he told the 2020 Cup Series champion, Rick Hendrick said, “I just said ‘Hey, we’ve got to be careful with that. But I support him, I really do support him. You get roughed up and it ruins your day, you know, you let your emotions take over.” Hendrick knows that for a driver of Chase Elliott’s caliber, one win is all it takes to get going and make a decisive run for the chip. But with how the season has gone so far for the Georgia native, getting that win might not be that straightforward after all.
