During the Coca-Cola 600 on May 29th, 2023, there was an on-track incident involving Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin.  Less than 24 hours later, NASCAR issued a penalty for Chase Elliott.  This penalty was a one race suspension.  In this article, I look at the Chase Elliott suspension, as well as the incident which brought it about.

The Incident:

The first thing the incident between Elliott and Hamlin brought to mind was last season’s incident between Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson at Las Vegas.  The Wallace/Larson incident was more excessive as Wallace had to travel further to complete the right rear hook on Larson.  Furthermore, Wallace proceeded to get out of his car and shove Larson. In this incident, the same right rear hook was utilized by Elliott, but Elliott did not have to travel as far to pull off the move.

The incident which led to the Chase Elliott suspension occurred 15 laps before the end of stage two.  Denny Hamlin was on the inside of Chase Elliott and ran him up the track a bit.  Elliott then bounced off the wall.  Finally, Elliott proceeded to turn left into the right rear of Hamlin’s car.  This sent Hamlin straight into the wall and ended his race.  Elliott sustained enough damage to be done for the night as well.

Image Credit: NASCAR on FOX via Twitter

Just like the incident between Wallace and Larson, this one also occurred on the front straight.  NASCAR pretty much had to suspend Chase Elliott after having suspended Bubba Wallace last year for the same type of incident.  Intentional right rear hooks to a competitor’s vehicle don’t have a place in the sport, as they produce dangerous wrecks.  In my opinion, this was a good move by NASCAR.

Fan Reaction:

As with any penalty issued by NASCAR, there will always be a fan reaction.  This is especially the case when we are talking about the sports most popular driver getting suspended.  In all honesty, I wasn’t sure that NASCAR would issue a suspension.  As previously stated, the Wallace/Larson incident looked a lot worse on television.  Furthermore, NASCAR is known for being consistently inconsistent.

Many fans were unhappy with the penalty issued to fan favorite Chase Elliott.  After all, Denny Hamlin received a penalty for intentionally wrecking Ross Chastain earlier this season.  As the tweet above mentions, this penalty was 25 points and a $50,000 fine.  In my opinion, however, this is not the proper penalty with which to compare the Chase Elliot suspension.  While Hamlin is a driver that many have a difficult time sympathizing with, Hamlin didn’t turn Chastain directly into the wall going down the front stretch.

Not all fans, nor even all Chase Elliott fans, thought the penalty was undeserved (as seen in the tweet above.)  Anyone who looks at the precedent set by the suspension given to Bubba Wallace last year seems to accept the suspension.  Both incidents were very similar.  They both occurred on the same type of track, in the same position on the track, and both were intentional right rear hooks.

Final Thoughts on the Whole Situation:

It could be argued that Bubba Wallace deserved a bigger penalty for his actions after the on-track incident.  Personally, at the time, I felt Wallace deserved a larger penalty than a one race suspension.  I don’t think that should diminish the penalty given to Chase Elliott though.  There is just no justification for pulling that type of a move.  NASCAR has shown that it is more than willing to allow other types of retribution.  Just don’t hit the target for said retribution in the right rear going down the straightaway.

I thought Bubba Wallace was lucky to receive a one race suspension just for the on-track incident.  It is a very dangerous move to pull.  Anyone who is actually thinking about what they’re doing would not pull such a move.  It is fair to call it a tantrum, because it is an emotional reaction done without any thought.  Denny Hamlin isn’t known to be the cleanest of race car drivers.  Chase Elliott had every right to be upset, especially given their history going back to 2017 at Martinsville.  He did not, however, have the right, to do what he did.

Regardless of what you may think of the drivers involved, it is nice to see NASCAR finally showing some consistency in their penalties.  It is definitely clear to everyone now that if you right hook someone on the straightaway, you will get a one race suspension.  In my opinion, this is a good precedent to set.  Let us know what you think in the comments below.