Chase Elliott and Kevin Harvick won’t say if their feud is over. NASCAR drama continues

A dramatic cutoff race in the last round of NASCAR’s playoffs played out at Bristol, and Sunday’s race at the Charlotte Roval was no different. Multiple playoff drivers, including Chase Elliott, Brad Keselowski and eventual winner Kyle Larson, fell below the cutoff line throughout the race.

“I don’t think there was anybody that had a smooth race at all,” Larson said.

In at least one of those instances, a direct line could be traced between cutoff race events. Kevin Harvick ran his No. 4 Ford into the back of Chase Elliott’s No. 9 Chevrolet around the halfway point at Charlotte, spinning Elliott into the wall.

Many insinuated that the move was payback for an earlier on-track incident at Bristol, when Elliott door-banged the side of Harvick’s car in retaliation for earlier contact, which led to heated words and shoves exchanged between the two drivers following the checkered flag. The biggest unanswered question after that race was whether the feud would play out on the track in other postseason events. On Sunday, the question was answered.

Elliott’s rear bumper cover was destroyed after ramming the wall rounding Turn 7 off the contact by Harvick. He sat nine points above Harvick, who was below the points cutoff before the race, and fell to the last position on track. Elliott’s hopes of continuing in the playoffs were in jeopardy as he rode around on a mission.

“If we get a chance to wreck him, that’ll lock us in,” Elliott’s crew chief Alan Gustafson radioed to Elliott.

But when Elliott finally caught up to Harvick in the final 15 laps, it was Harvick who wrecked himself. He locked his front tire and hit the wall in Turn 1, forcing him to exit the race and putting an end to his postseason run. The crowd cheered as he exited his car aflame with a small fire emanating from under the hood.

But there was no pointing and shoving between drivers. The drama fizzled to underhanded comments.

“You remember Bristol,” Harvick said when asked whether the hit to Elliott was intentional.

He then walked away, declining to answer a question about whether they’re “even.” Harvick joined Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell, as well as Hendrick Motorsports drivers William Byron and Alex Bowman as the four eliminated from playoffs before the Round of 8.

Elliott drove his car to a 12th-place finish. By the end of the race, it was missing a rear bumper cover that his crew attempted to tape back on after the wreck with Harvick. It flew in the breeze for multiple laps before it became detached and NASCAR threw a caution. Larson credited Elliott’s team for the run they were able to put together. Elliott also acknowledged the drama.

“Our team has a lot of fight and I’m just proud of that,” Elliott said. “As far as Kevin goes I’m gonna wish them a merry offseason and a Happy Christmas.”

When asked later about whether the feuding would continue, he demurred with the line, “I’m headed to Texas next week focusing on my job.”

What about karma?

“I’m headed to Texas next week focusing on my job,” Elliott repeated.

For now, both drivers would rather remain quiet on the subject, but Elliott has more to lose advancing to the next round and still in the running for his second straight championship.

Rick Hendrick, who earned his 36th win Charlotte Motor Speedway as the owner of Hendrick Motorsports, acknowledged the feuding post-race that nearly knocked Elliott from postseason contention. Hendrick called it “a lot of heated feelings” but said that it’s ultimately “up to the drivers” to stop the carnage.

Those heated feelings have seemingly simmered since Bristol, so the carnage should stop. But will it?

NASCAR race at Charlotte Roval results

This story was originally published October 10, 2021 at 8:25 PM.

Alexandra Andrejev

The Charlotte Observer

NASCAR and Charlotte FC beat reporter Alex Andrejev joined The Observer in January 2020 following an internship at The Washington Post. She is a two-time APSE award winner for her NASCAR beat coverage and National Motorsports Press Association award winner. She is the host of McClatchy’s podcast “Payback” about women’s soccer. Support my work with a digital subscription