The big NASCAR story out of Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend wasn’t Kyle Larson winning his sixth race of the year, the playoff drivers who survived the first elimination race or the four who were dropped from championship contention.
It was Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick’s on-track feud that led to multiple heated post-race confrontations.
With 35 laps remaining in the 500-lap event at the Tennessee short track on Saturday, Harvick passed Elliott for the lead, but the two made contact in the process, forcing Elliott to pit for a cut tire. The defending champ lost multiple laps while pitting, so he looked to help teammate Larson pass Harvick and got in front of the No. 4 car.
Elliott’s efforts paid off, Larson passed Harvick for the lead and the win and Elliott and Harvick had it out with each other after the race. And while Elliott’s and Harvick’s words with each other were difficult, if not impossible, to hear in the many, many videos of their post-race arguments, the No. 9 driver’s immediate reaction to what happened on track was loud and clear on his team’s radio.
After Elliott and Harvick made the contact resulting in the No. 9 car losing a tire, Elliott exploded in a brief and explicit rant against the No. 4 driver. On the radio, Elliott said:
“That [expletive] does that [expletive] every [expletive] week! Drives right into you and get a flat tire. [Expletive] him!”
In FOX Sports’ compilation of the best radio highlights from the race, Elliott’s outburst is just after the 4:10 mark:
Then importantly, seemingly realizing that a win was out of reach so late in the race, Elliott told his team he’d assist Larson and the No. 5 team, adding:
“Where’s the 5 at? I’ll help him out.”
Harvick blasted Elliott’s blocking as a “chicken-[expletive] move” and said he acted like a 2 year old throwing a tantrum. But Elliott was made because he said Harvick squeezes drivers up the track regularly and explained:
“It’s something he does all the time. He runs into your left side constantly at other tracks, and sometimes it does cut down your left side. Other times it doesn’t.
“Did it to me at Darlington a few weeks ago because he was tired of racing with me. And whether he did it on purpose, it doesn’t matter. At some point you’ve got to draw the line. So I don’t care who he is or how long he’s been doing it. I’m going to stand up for myself and my team, and we’ll go on down the road.”
"I don't care who he is."
Chase Elliott on his incident with Kevin Harvick. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/RcymskF4UX
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 19, 2021
Whether Elliott and Harvick’s feud continues on through the last seven playoff races remains to be seen. The first race in the NASCAR playoffs Round of 12 is Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway (7 p.m. ET, NBCSN).
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