Tag: Coca-Cola 600

NASCAR official on why Chase Elliott was suspended for 1 race for wrecking Denny Hamlin

“It was an intentional act by Chase [Elliott] in our opinion.”

Welcome to FTW’s NASCAR Feud of the Week, where we provide a detailed breakdown of the latest absurd, funny and sometimes legitimate controversies and issues within the racing world.

Following an incident Monday in NASCAR’s rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600, the governing body dealt Chase Elliott a one-race suspension for intentionally wrecking Denny Hamlin.

Nearly halfway through NASCAR’s longest race and “crown jewel” event — which Ryan Blaney ultimately won — Elliott in the No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet appeared to deliberately turn into Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota.

Coming out of Turn 4 on Lap 186 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Hamlin squeezed Elliott up the track, and the No. 9 car brushed the wall. Elliott seemingly turned into Hamlin, causing the No. 11 to crash head-on into the frontstretch wall.

NASCAR officials reviewed race data and ruled that Elliott intentionally wrecked Hamlin, and the behavioral penalty was announced Tuesday afternoon.

“In the heat of the battle, things happen,” Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, said on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio following the suspension announcement. “[B]ut drivers needs to understand you have to handle that in a completely different way than hooking someone in the right rear and putting them in harm’s way.”

Hendrick Motorsports responded with a statement saying it would not appeal the penalty and noted Corey LaJoie, who normally drives for Spire Motorsports, will fill in for Elliott this weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway. The team also said it will submit for a waiver to keep Elliott eligible for the playoffs in the fall.

Sawyer further explained on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio:

“We arrived at a one-race suspension for Chase. We take this very seriously in the fact that the incident that happened off Turn 4, again after looking at all the available resources — in-car camera, data, SMT, which basically gives us steering, gives us throttle, gives us braking — it was an intentional act by Chase in our opinion and our view after reviewing all the available resources there.

“We have great racing on our race tracks. We have some of the most phenomenal athletes that are driving these cars, and in the heat of the battle, things happen. But they have to learn to react in a different way.”

The situation between Elliott and Hamlin is similar to an incident last season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. In October 2022, NASCAR determined Bubba Wallace intentionally turned into Kyle Larson, and similarly, Wallace was suspended for a single race.

When asked what convinced NASCAR that Elliott’s dangerous contact was intentional, Sawyer continued:

“Watching the optics of it, immediately from the towers, like wow, that looked like a hard left-hand turn into the right-rear quarter of [Hamlin], which obviously turned the [No.] 11 into the front straightaway wall there head-on. Again, as we did last night [and] again this morning early throughout the day, you start looking at the data. There was some conversation about maybe a broken toe link on the right rear.

“And as you look through all that, nothing gave us the indication that on that particular contact with the fourth-turn wall … that anything was broke by looking at the steering, looking at in-car camera, hand position on steering wheel and the way the steering wheel was turned hard to the left, it just supported what the optics were. And again, that’s why we landed on the penalty we did.”

After the incident, Hamlin was understandably fuming. He pointed to the previous incident between Wallace and Larson, saying:

“It’s a tantrum, and he shouldn’t be racing next week. Right-rear hooks are absolutely unacceptable. I don’t care. It is the same thing that Bubba Wallace did with Kyle Larson. Exact same. He shouldn’t be racing. It’s a tantrum.”

Monday, Elliott said he wasn’t retaliating against Hamlin and added:

“The No. 11 ran us up into the fence there. Once you tear the right-side off these things, it’s kind of over.”

Chase Elliott given one-race suspension for Hamlin tangle

Chase Elliott has been suspended from the next NASCAR Cup Series race in St. Louis after his contact with Denny Hamlin in the Coca-Coca 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Elliott and Hamlin wrecked off Turn 4 on lap 186 in Monday’s postponed race, …

Chase Elliott has been suspended from the next NASCAR Cup Series race in St. Louis after his contact with Denny Hamlin in the Coca-Coca 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Elliott and Hamlin wrecked off Turn 4 on lap 186 in Monday’s postponed race, which ended the event for both drivers. The two were racing side-by-side through the corner when Hamlin slid up the track and made contact with Elliott. It was enough contact to lead Elliott to bounce off the wall.

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After hitting the wall, Elliott came left and hit Hamlin in the right rear quarter panel. The hook sent Hamlin head-on into the outside wall.

“We take this very seriously,” said NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. “After looking at all the available resources: in-car camera, data, SMT, which basically gives us steering, gives us throttle, gives us braking, it was an intentional act by Chase in our opinion and our view after reviewing all the available resources there.”

Hendrick Motorsports will not appeal the penalty. However, the organization will request a playoff waiver from NASCAR.

Corey LaJoie will drive the No. 9 Chevrolet in St. Louis. Carson Hocevar will make his Cup Series debut by filling in for LaJoie at Spire Motorsports.

“Just watching the optic of it immediately from the tower, it was like, wow, it looked like a hard left-hand turn into the right-rear corner of the 11, which obviously turned the 11 into the front straightway wall there head-on,” said Sawyer. “So, then you … start looking at the data. There was some conversation about maybe a broken toe link on the right rear, and as you look through all that, nothing gave us the indication that on that particular contact with the fourth turn wall that anything was broke by looking at the steering, looking at in-car camera with hand position on the steering wheel and the way the steering wheel was turned hard to the left.

“It just supported what the optics were, and again, that’s why we landed on the penalty we did.”

Blaney puts self-doubt on reset with Charlotte win

While there were never any thoughts from Ryan Blaney that he wasn’t going to win again in the NASCAR Cup Series, the driver who admits he lacks self-confidence did doubt himself during a winless drought. “Like, am I good enough to compete?” Blaney …

While there were never any thoughts from Ryan Blaney that he wasn’t going to win again in the NASCAR Cup Series, the driver who admits he lacks self-confidence did doubt himself during a winless drought.

“Like, am I good enough to compete?” Blaney reflected late Monday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “Am I as good as I was a year ago? Can I still do this? Am I progressing and getting smarter as a race car driver and still have the same skills I had two years ago?

The 59-race winless drought in points-paying races was finally snapped in the postponed Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. It was the first crown jewel win of Blaney’s career and his first drive into victory lane since the summer of 2021 when he won back-to-back races in Michigan and Daytona.

Nigel Kinrade/Motorsport Images

“I don’t think I ever thought, like ‘I will never win a race again,’” Blaney continued. “It’s just sometimes you doubt your abilities when things don’t go your way or you make mistakes. Like, ‘Gosh, I’m getting kind of messy with the way I’m doing things.’

“I was very excited because I haven’t won in a long time, and it was the 600. So, I was pretty pumped up. There were multiple reasons there, but no, I didn’t think that we could never win again.”

The typically calm and cool Blaney admitted he might shed a tear after getting from his car on the frontstretch. And so pumped up from the win and the fans still in attendance, Blaney pulled an uncharacteristic move of going into the grandstands like his Team Penske counterpart and Indianapolis 500 winner Josef Newgarden had done Sunday.

“A big weekend, and obviously, winning the 600 is massive,” Blaney said. “I grew up coming here watching my dad race for a long time as a kid. It’s just what we did every summer. (It’s) really cool, and it was cool for my parents to be here as well. So, that was a special moment.

“Fun night, that’s for sure. Monday races seem to go really well for me. I don’t know what it is, but definitely a fun night.”

There were no mistakes made by Blaney or his team through 600 miles. Unlike other races that slipped through their fingers after strong performances or cruel misfortune not of their doing, the No. 12 was locked in at Charlotte.

No penalties were called on Blaney or his team on pit road. Each restart went according to plan, and there were many. And many where Blaney lined up on the front row either as the leader or in second place.

Blaney and his No. 12 Penske team were all in sync at CMS. John K Harrelson/Motorsport Images

Blaney’s Ford Mustang looked as good as it did before the race as it did after 400 laps. Whereas Blaney — and the team — have been criticized in the past for not closing races, this time the group was perfect and left no room for condemnation.

“I’m really proud of the effort of our whole group tonight of doing everything right and not making any mistakes,” said Blaney. “Yeah, I’m used to disappointment, especially after the last year and a half, and it’s nice to be able to pull one off and have the speed that deserves to win – and actually win. A handful of times last year, I thought we had plenty of speed to win, and just something happened. That definitely gets tiresome. Tonight, I’m really happy it was able to work out.”

At times, Blaney acknowledged, it could feel like an eternity between career win number seven and eight. He won three races in 2021 — the first time in his career he won multiple races in a single season. The 20 top-10 finishes Blaney earned that season were also a single-season best.

The same execution lacked in 2021: three DNFs, no wins, and three fewer top-10 finishes. But the opportunities were there, as shown by the laps led (636) and average finish (13.6). Winning, however, doesn’t come easy in NASCAR, and Blaney learned it the hard way over the last year and a half.

When a win does come, though, it really does cure a lot.

“Sometimes you just get in these streaks where things just aren’t going right,” said Blaney. “And then you feel like you’re doing everything right, maybe your cars aren’t fast enough to win races or you’re making too many mistakes. It can definitely be frustrating.

“It’s easy to get down on yourself when you don’t win. You’ve got to think to yourself, can I still do it? Can I still compete at a winning level? So it’s easy to kind of doubt yourself. But at the end of the day, we all pulled together, and everyone in the 12 group did a good job of working on things that we could get better.

“Yeah, it does feel like an eternity. I told Jonathan [Hassler, crew chief] and those guys what a cool first one to get together. Winning the 600. That’s a super cool one to win.”

Wallace credits team after Charlotte fightback

Given the laundry list of things that went wrong for Bubba Wallace and his 23XI Racing team, it played in their favor that Monday’s race was 600 miles at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Wallace finished fourth in the Coca-Cola 600 after fighting through …

Given the laundry list of things that went wrong for Bubba Wallace and his 23XI Racing team, it played in their favor that Monday’s race was 600 miles at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Wallace finished fourth in the Coca-Cola 600 after fighting through the field multiple times. Although his No. 23 Toyota was fast, Wallace was behind the eight-ball from the start when his car failed pre-race inspection twice, and the team wound up with a less-than-ideal pit stall selection.

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“What a day. Holy cow,” Wallace said. “Back and forth, back and forth, and the car wasn’t really that great all night. The top was so dominant on restarts, and we just knew we had to get up there, and I don’t know exactly where we lined up on that last one, 16th or 18th.

“I’m just proud of the team; thankful for giving me a car to be able to do that, but we still got a lot of work to do. But we continue to throw our name in the hat and we’re there. We’re becoming a factor. So, just have to keep going.”

Some of what Wallace and his team overcame included being boxed in on pit road, a penalty for equipment interference, and pitting before pit road was open. Wallace’s car was also knocked off the jack during one pit stop when run into by Michael McDowell.

“Still don’t know what happened there because we were clearly there,” Wallace said of the McDowell incident. “We had an up-and-down day on pit road – mostly down. Uncontrolled tire. Coming around the 34 (McDowell) when he was serving his two-lap penalty. Getting trapped after we were ninth coming in and came out 20-something.”

Wallace released a breath before continuing, “Just proud of the team for keeping their composure. The pit crew, they bounced back after the mistakes and delivered and gave us a shot.”

Bootie Barker, Wallace’s crew chief, credited his driver for the finish. Although it was a complete team effort to stay in the race and fight, Wallace got the result.

“He carried us,” Barker said. “The car was good, but he definitely made the difference.”

The effort from Wallace was a positive step in his maturation. Barker said it is a fair assessment that, in the past, Wallace might have lost his cool through a long, tough day.

“I think he’s proving that he’s more talented than people thought and now – he’s always been smart – but he’s controlling his emotions as well. He did excellent.”

Wallace smiled when told of what Barker said. However, he was quick to point out the work of the team.

“You still have to have a car to do that stuff, and the car was somewhat there,” Wallace said. “But you run enough laps and race around these guys, and you try to use all your tools. I wouldn’t be here without them, so it’s a team effort.”

Throughout 600 miles, Wallace passed 164 cars. His average running position was 15.7.

“You just go where they’re not; it sounds easy, but it’s super hard because you’re trying to find the cleanest air possible and continue the momentum,” Wallace said of getting back into the top five at the end of the race. “This place is a big momentum track, especially with these cars and these motors. You have to keep the momentum up the whole time. Just proud of the effort; have to keep it going.

“We survived 600 miles. Redemption from last year. So, onto St. Louis.”

For the first time in team history, both 23XI Racing cars finished in the top five in the same race. Wallace led teammate Tyler Reddick across the finish line.

Wallace is 15th in the championship standings after three consecutive top-five finishes. It is the first such stretch in his Cup Series career.

“The turning point has happened quicker than in previous years,” Wallace said of his team. “It’s usually like (in) the playoffs. We’re hitting our stride. Three top fives? Four. I’m including that All-Star Race; y’all ain’t going to take that from me. That’s four.

“You can’t get complacent. I text Tanner Gray after I saw him qualify on the pole and I knew he had a rough week the previous week over in Wilkesboro and I was like that’s the thing I love about racing. You show up, and it’s a new opportunity, a fresh set of downs, and you go out and compete. That’s what it is.

“This is a short week for us, we go test Michigan (Tuesday). So, got to get right back at it and continue to work, continue to push.”

Penske relishes first Indy/Charlotte sweep

Roger Penske accomplished another first Monday night in a different kind of Indianapolis and Charlotte double as Ryan Blaney won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Blaney capped off a weekend sweep for Penske a day after the legendary …

Roger Penske accomplished another first Monday night in a different kind of Indianapolis and Charlotte double as Ryan Blaney won the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Blaney capped off a weekend sweep for Penske a day after the legendary team owner won his 19th Indianapolis 500 with Josef Newgarden. It is the first time Penske has accomplished the back-to-back feat.

“I don’t think there’s anything that changed, but definitely, we keep each other under pressure for those doubles,” said Team Penske president of NASCAR operations, Michael Nelson. “It was something we really wanted to do; we’ve had a chance to win the All-Star (Race) and the (Coke) 600 before, but to get the Indy 500 and the Coke 600 all in one weekend is pretty amazing. So yeah, we put a lot of pressure on ourselves to deliver that one after the big win this past weekend.”

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Monday night’s win for Blaney was a return to victory lane for the first time since the summer of 2021. It is Blaney’s first crown jewel win in NASCAR.

“It was obviously a big weekend for Team Penske,” Blaney said. “Watching the Indy 500 yesterday, how that played out and watching Josef win his first one and watching Mr. Penske win number 19, that was really cool to see. When that stuff happens, you’re like, well, the pressure is on to try to sweep the weekend, especially in two really big weekends. That was the goal, and fortunately, we executed well enough to get it done.”

A sweep of NTT IndyCar Series and NASCAR events is not unfamiliar to Penske. Last fall, after trying for decades, Penske won the IndyCar and NASCAR Cup Series championships for the first time in the same season. But the Memorial Day weekend sweep was another first for the organization.

“I’m really looking forward to talking to Roger here after I get done and back to the bus because I haven’t congratulated him enough and I’m looking forward to hearing his voice,” Blaney continued. “It was a big weekend, and obviously, winning the (Coke) 600 is massive. I grew up coming here watching my dad race for a long time as a kid — it’s what we did every summer. It was cool for my parents to be here as well. That was a special moment. Fun night, that’s for sure.”

Blaney follows Newgarden example to celebrate Coca-Cola 600 win with crowd

Ryan Blaney not only delivered a weekend sweep for Team Penske by winning the Coca-Cola 600 a day after the organization won the Indianapolis 500 but followed the celebration, too. Blaney went into the Charlotte Motor Speedway frontstretch …

Ryan Blaney not only delivered a weekend sweep for Team Penske by winning the Coca-Cola 600 a day after the organization won the Indianapolis 500 but followed the celebration, too.

Blaney went into the Charlotte Motor Speedway frontstretch grandstands after his victory lap. Already fired up from winning for the first time in nearly two years and claiming his first crown jewel race, Blaney had the idea from Penske’s NTT IndyCar Series racer Josef Newgarden, who did the same after winning Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.

“I don’t get that excited very often, but I was super pumped,” Blaney said. “I loved how Josef did it yesterday and I was really pleased when I turned around and did the little victory lap thing of how many people were still in the stands. It was packed, and I couldn’t believe it.

“I appreciate everyone sticking around. But I saw how excited they were and was like, you know what, I’m going to go in the stands like Josef did and have some human contact after five hours of not having it. That was a lot of fun. The excitement level of the fans makes us feel good as competitors, and it was really cool to do that. I think some of it was because Josef did it, and some of it was showing my appreciation.”

Blaney, unlike Newgarden, had his helmet off when he climbed into the grandstands. He could hear the “very good things” fans were saying.

Charlotte was Blaney’s eighth career win in the Cup Series. Going into the grandstands after a victory is not his typical action.

“I have some experience in it, actually,” Blaney said. “I go to metal shows every now and then, and that’s like a mosh pit at a metal show. It was very similar to that. There was no one swinging haymakers, but it was very similar to that.

“That’s probably the only thing I could compare it to was the metal show mosh pit up there. But people (were) cheering for you, so it was even better.”

Zane Smith cheered by career-best Cup Series run at CMS

Zane Smith climbed from his No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang with smiles fitting of a top-10 finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 10th-place finish was a career-best run for Smith. Monday’s postponed race was his …

Zane Smith climbed from his No. 38 Front Row Motorsports Ford Mustang with smiles fitting of a top-10 finish in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

The 10th-place finish was a career-best run for Smith. Monday’s postponed race was his sixth career start in the NASCAR Cup Series and fifth with Front Row.

“I am so, so happy, as happy as could be,” Smith said. “I was worried when we didn’t take tires there, and we were running really good and had a really good day. It just worked out, so just a great job by this whole 38 Boot Barn FRM team.

“We got our Mustang better and better every single stop and that’s so cool. We run on half the budget, if that, then a lot of these guys, so to finish top 10 in our sixth start at the Coke 600 is really cool.”

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Smith’s previous best finish in the series was 13th in the Daytona 500. A year ago, Smith finished 17th in St. Louis in his series debut when he filled in for Chris Buescher, sidelined by COVID-19.

In his first Coca-Cola 600, Smith also led the first laps of his career when crew chief Ryan Bergenty kept him on track when the caution flew with 43 laps to go. Smith, who had a solid top-20 car throughout the race, inherited the lead but quickly fell backward when the race restarted.

Smith pitted for the last time to take tires when the final caution flew with 26 laps to go. It didn’t take him long to use those to his advantage to drive to 10th place.

One of the first things Smith said to the team as they greeted him at the car was the run was bad (expletive).

“It’s been a rough three weeks for me and the Cup Series is a different level,” Smith said. “Obviously, I’m trying to prove I belong here, and it’s just an outstanding run. Ryan does an outstanding job, and it’s so cool, to one, finish this race, but better yet, with a top 10.”

Monday was the longest race Smith had ever run. Having enjoyed the experience and finished well, Smith was ready for more afterward.

“I got to about halfway, and I had heard that story coming into this of how long this race feels, and I did a lot of preparation for the past month of just trying to prepare myself for this one,” Smith said. “I feel like I could go another 100 (miles) more, so did a good job there.

“But I’m just so proud of everyone at FRM and on this 38 car. It’s an outstanding job, I thought.”

Blaney ends 59-race NASCAR Cup Series drought with Coca-Cola 600 win

Breaking a 59-race drought in Monday’s rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney gave team owner Roger Penske his first same-year sweep of IndyCar’s biggest race and NASCAR’s longest. With a dominant No. 12 Team Penske Ford …

Breaking a 59-race drought in Monday’s rain-delayed Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney gave team owner Roger Penske his first same-year sweep of IndyCar’s biggest race and NASCAR’s longest.

With a dominant No. 12 Team Penske Ford that gained long-run speed as the race progressed, Blaney led a race-high 163 of 400 laps and held off polesitter William Byron for his first victory on the 1.5-mile Charlotte oval and the eighth of his career.

A day after Josef Newgarden delivered Penske’s 19th Indianapolis 500 victory with a last-lap pass, Blaney won for the first time since taking the checkered flag at Daytona on Aug. 28, 2021.

“I might shed a tear,” said Blaney, clearly emotional during his post-race interview on the frontstretch. “I just was able to get the lead, and that car was so good that I could kind of bide my time a little bit and then we were able to drive off. I was hoping no caution, just because you never know.

“I know we had the car to do it, but restarts can be crazy… You start to get to feel like you can’t win anymore when you don’t win in a while. It kind of gets hard. So just super thankful to the 12 guys for believing in me…

“It’s just so cool. What a weekend with Newgarden and Roger winning at Indy and us winning the 600. I mean, that’s just so cool. That kind of snaps our winless streak right there, and that’s even better.”

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After a spate of cautions late in the race, Blaney led the field to green with 20 laps left and built a one-second lead over Byron before winning by 0.663s. Martin Truex Jr. ran third ahead of 23XI Racing teammates Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick.

Blaney won the race’s third stage and is second in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, one point behind Ross Chastain, who finished 22nd.

Byron, who collected his eighth top-10 finish this season, pursued Blaney for the final 20 laps, but to no avail.

“We just needed a little bit,” said Byron, who led 91 laps and repeatedly regained the top spot from the No. 1 pit stall in a race that featured 16 cautions for 83 laps. “Really happy for Ryan. He really deserves it. He’s a good dude. Cool to see him get a win…

“The car was great tonight. Just not quite good enough. Really proud of the effort. Pit crew was phenomenal on pit road. Those guys are just high energy, and that pit stall helps… Just proud of where our team is at. Just needed a little bit more.”

The wreck that set up the final 20-lap green-flag run was one of the race’s most severe. Kyle Larson slid sideways and after a restart on lap 375 and bounced off other front-running cars like a pinball. Collected in the wreck were Christopher Bell, who had shown early speed; Ty Gibbs; Joey Logano and Aric Almirola.

Just as significant was an accident on lap 185 that knocked defending race winner Denny Hamlin and five-time most popular driver Chase Elliott out of the race.

After Hamlin crowded Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet into the outside wall, Elliott hooked Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota on the frontstretch. Hamlin’s car bounced off the wall after a brutal impact and collected Elliott’s Camaro on the rebound.

Both cars were damaged too severely to continue.

Hamlin and crew chief Chris Gabehart were convinced Elliott turned Hamlin’s Camry in retaliation.

“It’s a tantrum and he shouldn’t be racing next week,” Hamlin said after exiting the infield care center. “Right-rear hooks are absolutely unacceptable. I don’t care. It is the same thing that Bubba Wallace did with Kyle Larson. Exact same. He shouldn’t be racing. It’s a tantrum.”

Elliott denied the incident was intentional on his part.

“No, like I said, once you hit the wall in these things, you can’t drive them anymore,” Elliott said. “So, no, just unfortunate circumstances.”

RESULTS

Hamlin hints Elliott should face suspension for Coca-Cola 600 hit

Denny Hamlin saw no difference in what Chase Elliott did to him Monday in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway than what got Bubba Wallace suspended late last season and feels the Hendrick Motorsports driver should be handed the same …

Denny Hamlin saw no difference in what Chase Elliott did to him Monday in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway than what got Bubba Wallace suspended late last season and feels the Hendrick Motorsports driver should be handed the same punishment.

Coming off Turn 4 on lap 186, Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota slid up the track and made contact with Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Elliott hit the wall and came back left, hitting Hamlin in the right rear.

The contact sent Hamlin spinning to the right across the track and into the outside wall. It was a nose-first crash for Hamlin, who climbed from his damaged car under his own power and retired from the race. Elliott’s car was too damaged to continue and he also exited the race early.

“I got right-rear hooked in the middle of the straightaway,” Hamlin said.

Asked if it was retaliation for their contact coming off the corner, Hamlin said, “Yeah, it’s a tantrum, and he shouldn’t be racing next week. Right rear hooks are absolutely unacceptable. I don’t care — it’s the same thing Bubba Wallace did with Kyle Larson. Exact same.

“He shouldn’t be racing. It was a tantrum.”

It was at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last fall when Wallace hooked Larson in the right rear off Turn 4. The two had been racing tight off the corner, and Wallace hit the wall. Wallace came back left across the track and hit Larson in the right rear, sending him head-on into the outside wall.

Wallace blamed Larson for putting him in a bad spot. NASCAR officials suspended Wallace for one race for his actions.

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“The 11 (Hamlin) ran us up into the fence there, and once you tear the right sides off these things, it’s kind of over,” Elliott said of the incident between him and Hamlin. “I hate it. I thought our NAPA Chevy was getting better. It was nice to make some gains again throughout the race. Our pit stops were really good.

“We had some pretty good fortune to get up toward the front there. So, it was just trying to get mile 600 and have a shot. Unfortunately failed to do that again.”

Elliott denied his hook of Hamlin was intentional.

“No,” said Elliott. “Like I say, once you hit the wall in these things, you can’t drive them anymore. Unfortunately, not, no. Just an unfortunate circumstance.”

Coca-Cola 600 postponed to Monday

The NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway has been postponed until Monday at 3pm ET. NASCAR Cup Series teams never brought the cars out of the garage Sunday due to persistent rain. FOX will have television broadcast coverage. PRN (the …

The NASCAR Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway has been postponed until Monday at 3pm ET. NASCAR Cup Series teams never brought the cars out of the garage Sunday due to persistent rain.

FOX will have television broadcast coverage. PRN (the Performance Racing Network) and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry live radio coverage.

William Byron and Kevin Harvick will lead the field to the green flag in the Coca-Cola 600. The sport’s longest race will be 400 laps and 600 miles. It will have four stages.

Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin will start from the second row. Hamlin and the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team are the defending race winners.

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Alex Bowman makes his return to NASCAR competition after being sidelined for the last four weeks from the 31st starting position.

Making his third start with Legacy Motor Club, Jimmie Johnson starts 37th in the 37-car field. Johnson is a four-time Coca-Cola 600 winner.

The Cup Series race will be preceded by the postponed Xfinity Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which has been moved to 11 a.m. ET.