Clashes between Hendrick Motorsports teammates are a rarity. However, last week’s heated exchanges at Iowa Speedway between Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson posed questions about their chemistry and the synergy within the powerhouse team.
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While neither driver publicly addressed the on-track tension, veteran crew chief and analyst Steve Letarte brushed it off as part of the natural rhythm of hard racing. He felt this wouldn’t be something Rick Hendrick should lose sleep over.
So far, that seems true. Elliott and Larson insisted that there are no hard feelings despite three separate run-ins during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa.
Back in the race, Larson started third after a strong qualifying run and finished a caution-free Stage 1 in sixth. However, trouble began on a Lap 186 restart (Stage 2) when Elliott clipped Larson’s left front entering Turn 1 in a three-wide battle. Larson was up high, and Chase Briscoe pinned inside at that point.
The contact sent Larson sliding, though he saved it with some sharp car control. However, the car’s handling had suffered. Twenty-three laps later, the Hendrick duo went door-to-door again on a restart, leaning on each other while fighting for a narrow patch of the middle lane.
The final flashpoint came when contact from Christopher Bell pushed Larson up the track, barely missing the wall. The incident was enough to ignite Larson’s temper.
“How much f***ing room do I have to leave people? … I’ve been quiet for 45 minutes… I’ve been trying to be a good teammate, [and] a good competitor, and it hasn’t gotten me anywhere for the last f***ing hour,” Larson fumed over the radio.
Elliott finished 14th at Iowa, extending his streak to 23 straight top-20 finishes in 2025. Larson, hampered by the day’s run-ins and misfortune, finished 28th.
Unaware of Larson’s remarks at the time, Elliott later admitted Larson had been in difficult situations. However, the No. 9 driver didn’t believe it warranted a sit-down.
Ahead of Watkins Glen, Elliott told reporters, “I didn’t know there was any issue, honestly. I just feel like we were going for the same gap at the same time. I didn’t think any of that was intentional, either way. So yeah, I haven’t felt the need [to talk]. If we need to talk, we will, I’m sure. But we haven’t had any issues.”
Watkins Glen could bring another chapter to their rivalry, with Iowa winner and points leader William Byron possibly joining the fray. All three are in the hunt for the Regular Season Championship, which awards 15 playoff points to the leader after Daytona in two weeks.
With the trio’s record for five of the last six wins at the Glen, dating back to Elliott’s first career win in 2018, we could see more fireworks. If the HMS drivers race each other aggressively again, fans may witness more Hendrick-versus-Hendrick competition.
