Chase Elliott was second in the Brickyard 400, and 25 laps into the NASCAR Cup Series race, his team followed Denny Hamlin and the other drivers down pit road. However, the No. 9’s stop proved to be significantly different, or at least the departure was in NASCAR’s perspective, as officials penalized the 2020 Cup Series champion for over the blend line leaving pit road. The 28-year-old strongly disagreed with the sanctioning body’s decision and expressed his displeasure over team radio.
“What the [expletive]? Elliott angrily informed his team, “They sent out the [expletive] sheet yesterday.” “Do exactly what they [expletive] tell us to do.”
Did they show you the black flag?” crew chief Alan Gustafson asked.
“They didn’t say line,” Elliott insisted. “They said racing surface. So you tell me how the [expletive] I was on the [expletive] racing surface.”
“Alright focus forward,” Gustafson said, trying to redirect his driver. “They’re wrong. They’re wrong. Focus forward. Nothing we can do now. In the future, if they’re not black-flagging you, don’t stop until I get it worked out.”
“No, they were black-flagging me,” the HMS driver responded.
Despite his anger, the penalty didn’t affect his overall day as the No. 9 finished second in Stage 2 and 10th in the race.
Chase Elliott Had Company on Pit Road Penalty
Interestingly, another Cup champion, Brad Keselowski, received the same penalty during that stop, was perplexed by the NASCAR officials’ decision, and responded very differently. “So either I don’t know how to read, or they don’t know how to officiate—one of the two,” the RFK Racing driver and co-owner stated over the radio.
Above the outside white line is considered the racing surface, so that is not what the email reads,” his crew reassured him.
