Chase Elliott, Kevin Harvick continue to escalate their dispute on the track
By Bob Pockrass
FOX Sports NASCAR Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — On to Texas.
That is the message Chase Elliott tried to deliver following another dramatic exchange with Kevin Harvick on Sunday afternoon at the Charlotte road course.
Three of the past four Mondays, this newsletter has focused on the feud between two of the sport’s biggest stars. Some would say that is too much or that feuds happen all the time in sports.
But the fact that this one nearly delivered a knockout blow to Elliott’s chance to defend his 2020 Cup championship shows just how deep, just how raw this feud has gone.
It probably is over for the rest of the season. Harvick is no longer in championship contention, and he would lose all credibility if he retaliated more against Elliott while Elliott is still in the hunt for the title.
As for Elliott, he can’t afford to worry about a driver who is no longer in championship contention. It’s bygones for the rest of the season.
But not forever. Because Elliott probably has to answer next season for what happened Sunday on the Charlotte road course.
Harvick believes Elliott cost him a win last month at Bristol by not running full-throttle and blocking him, allowing Kyle Larson to pass Harvick for the win. Elliott believed that Harvick deserved that treatment after side-banging him while battling for position late in the race, a move that Elliott said is a signature Harvick ploy to damage an opponent’s vehicle.
Then came Sunday, three weeks later, with Harvick trying to rally from nine points behind Elliott to keep from being eliminated. As they battled for position, Harvick punted Elliott.
He didn’t hide the fact that it was done on purpose.
"You remember Bristol," Harvick said.
And: "Sometimes real life teaches you good lessons."
Harvick eventually eliminated himself by locking the brakes and crushing the wall with about a dozen laps remaining. Elliott never got to follow through with a threat over his radio to dump Harvick in return.
After Elliott got out of the car, he quipped: "As far as Kevin goes, just want to wish them a merry offseason and a happy Christmas."
Elliott wouldn’t be baited into any additional bulletin-board material or Harvick ridicule.
"I don’t have anything to say about him or anything," he said. "Just glad to be moving on, and that is all that matters to me.
"I’m excited our season is continuing."
Is Elliott excited that Harvick’s season is not continuing, as far as being in playoff contention?
"I don’t get excited at other people’s misfortune," he said. "That’s not how I was raised."
Elliott was, however, raised to not back down. And he shouldn’t. Sure, he cost Harvick potentially five playoff points at Bristol, which would have given Harvick slightly better odds of advancing from this round.
And yes, Harvick was battling with Elliott for position, and punting someone out of the way in desperation could be considered part of this playoff system. Harvick obviously considers it payback and fair game. But it certainly is bordering on dirty. And if Elliott lets it go unanswered, it could seem that he let Harvick get the upper hand.
Petty? Maybe. But motorsports is about not backing down and righting wrongs, as long as the punishment or damage doesn’t hurt worse. It’s much like a beanball in baseball — sometimes deemed necessary, even though an ejection and suspension might follow.
Elliott owner Rick Hendrick knows it’s a no-win situation and would probably like to see a truce.
"Everybody loses in that deal," he said. "I am hopeful that Kevin and Chase can work it out, and if Harvick thinks he got him [at Bristol] and then he got Chase today ... you want to go on and race and not have to worry about that stuff.
"I’m sure we’ll all talk this week and get ready for Texas and get it behind us and just race."
At some point, Elliott would be justified in making Harvick’s life miserable. He doesn’t need to punt him, but in the weekly give-and-take battles, he needs to take when it comes to Harvick. That could come on a restart or by deciding to lap him at the end of the stage or by potentially pinching him in his pit box.
When this initially happened, some scoffed that it would be over, that the drivers would have too much to lose to let this linger.
But Harvick showed Sunday that it lingered. Since he wrecked on his own late at Charlotte, Elliott could enjoy the last laugh.
But probably not — at least not yet, anyway.
"They're the only ones that can really stop it," Hendrick said. "I hope they do because the crew chiefs and everybody can do the best they can, but it's up to the drivers themselves.
"I've been in this situation before. NASCAR can handle it."
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Thinking out loud
Many wonder whether NASCAR should have black-flagged Chase Elliott for his rear bumper hanging off the car after Kevin Harvick dumped him. The rear bumper eventually fell off and resulted in a caution.
NASCAR said that with the rear bumper not required on road courses, it didn’t think a black flag was necessary, just that it would have wanted Elliott’s team to fix things under caution.
It was pretty clear that it was going to come off and be a potential safety hazard. But with Elliott’s playoff hopes on the line, it's good that NASCAR swallowed the whistle on this one. With anyone’s playoff hopes at stake, that would be appropriate.
NASCAR created this elimination playoff system for drama. When a situation is borderline, it is OK to make a judgment call in favor of allowing the race to play out for a championship contender — and not for race officials to get involved — and a different call for someone not in the playoffs.
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Stat of note
Kyle Larson entered the season with six career Cup victories. After his victory Sunday at the Charlotte road course, he has seven on the season.
They said it
"I was ready to go home. It was time to get the helicopter and get out of here. It was brutal." — Rick Hendrick after his teams had issues early in the race at Charlotte
Bob Pockrass has spent decades covering motorsports, including the past 30 Daytona 500s. He joined FOX Sports in 2019 following stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram @bobpockrass. Looking for more NASCAR content? Sign up for the FOX Sports NASCAR Newsletter with Bob Pockrass!