NASCAR has long served as a breeding ground for the oddest of racing rivalries. One such strife was between the now-retired icon Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott in 2021. Both the drivers managed to break into the playoffs that season but quickly found each other at loggerheads in the Round of 12 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
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At the end of the 109 laps, Chase Elliott emerged better of the two, with Harvick being eliminated from the championship race, but that didn’t stop him from striking a cheeky joke at the senior driver. Elliott said in his post-race interview, “As far as Kevin [Harvick] goes, I just want to wish them a merry off-season and a happy Christmas”.
The events that triggered these words from Elliott began when Harvick caught his Chevrolet’s back and sent it into the wall in lap 56. Thankfully, the #9 crew was able to keep the car running and Elliott avoided elimination. As he raced for revenge thereon, Harvick himself ended up self-destructing by oversteering into a turn with 11 laps to go and crashed out of the championship race.
Elliott did not have any complaints about not being the one who put Harvick out of contention as he found his way to the Round of 8 by finishing P12.
The squabble between the drivers dated back a few races when Elliott had held Harvick off from the win at that year’s night race in Bristol after having his tire cut down. After a heated confrontation post-race, Elliot said, “I don’t care who he is or how long he’s been doing it. I’m going to stand up for myself, my team, and we’ll go on down the road.”
With both on the lookout for vengeance at the Roval, things heated up the old-fashioned way.
Kevin Harvick was livid with Chase Elliott after Bristol
Though Kevin Harvick in 2021 was a much calmer driver than he was in his younger days, racing still got his blood running hot. From his point of view, he barely rubbed Elliott’s Chevy at Bristol and the youngster just threw a temper tantrum by not letting him pass. He said, “Throw a temper tantrum like you’re 2 years old because you got passed for the lead and got a flat tire. We barely even rubbed. It’s all Chase’s way, or it’s no way, and if he doesn’t get his way, then he throws a fit.”
He added, “I told him I wanted to rip his freaking head off.” If that didn’t make feelings clear, Harvick’s words after the Roval race certainly did. Asked whether he intended to crash Elliott out of the race, he responded calmly, “You remember Bristol.”
Thanks to this back-and-forth between them, Kyle Larson ended up winning at both Bristol and the Roval, and ultimately being crowned the 2021 Champion.
