The consensus from most of the NASCAR community and the fans regarding what Chase Elliott did to Kyle Larson in Kansas has been that it was the #9 driver who was in the wrong. Elliott expressed his frustration and displeasure with Larson after the #5 driver made contact with his teammate on the pit road.
But the reality was that Larson was forced to turn right and into Elliott to avoid major damage in a situation that could’ve been far more complicated than it was. Still, Elliott did what he did, which, according to former crew chief Larry McReynolds, wasn’t the wisest of decisions.
Larry McReynolds calls out Chase Elliott
During a recent episode of NASCAR Race Hub, McReynolds shared his thoughts on the Elliott-Larson incident from Kansas. He claimed that he’s always hesitant to comment on how a driver should react in a racecar considering he’s never been in that place himself.
“With that said, Chase has got to learn how to control his emotions. One reason he’s in the position he’s in right now and he’s not a part of the playoffs, he let his emotions carried away at Charlotte Motor Speedway,” he described.
McReynolds further called out Elliott’s response to journalist Bob Pockrass after the race. Pockrass asked Elliott whether he was trying to send a message to Larson when he turned left onto him, to which Elliott replied, “There was no message. No.”
Speaking about this, McReynolds said, “To me, the answer he gave Bob, that’s even a worse look! Why would you do that?”
“Honestly, when I think things starting to get heated between Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, I’m going to go back to 2021 when Kyle Larson started driving that #5 car and went out there and won 10 races and the All-Star race and the championship,” McReynolds added.
Kyle Larson hoped Elliott would understand the reason behind his actions
In his post-race interview, Kyle Larson explained his side of the incident, claiming he understood why Chase Elliott was mad and hoped his teammate would understand his decisions.
“I hope when he sees the replay he understands I didn’t have any space or not much, just inches,” Larson said.
In the end, Larson was happy that neither he nor Elliott suffered any damage to their racecars considering both are contending for separate championships. However, the same level of consideration may not have been in Elliott’s mind considering his actions.
