NASCAR favorite Chase Elliott He was absent from Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway after he was suspended for intentionally crashing into Denny Hamlin in the Coca-Cola 600 last week.
While most drivers have apparently supported the disciplinary decision, A comment from NASCAR president Steve Phelps before last weekend’s race has left some fans confused.
Chase Elliott prepares to qualify for the NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on May 13, 2023, in South Carolina. (Logan Riely/Getty Images)
According to FOX Sports’ Bob Pockrass, Phelps said Saturday that the decision to suspend Elliott was based on the precedent that had been set when bubba wallace he was suspended in October after crashing into Kyle Larson in the NASCAR Cup Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
NASCAR HITS STEWART-HAAS RACING WITH ‘SEVERE PENALTY’ FOR COUNTERFEIT: ‘WE DO NOT TAKE THIS LIGHTLY’
«It would be hard to have a conversation with Denny or Bubba or anybody else and say, ‘Hey, it was wrong for Bubba to do it and it’s okay for Chase to do it,'» Phelps told Pockrass.
«We hate it, but it’s a call we needed to make.»
It was Phelps’ final comment that left fans scratching their heads.
«So if I’m reading this right, Phelps really didn’t want to suspend Elliott. I’m assuming they didn’t want the backlash,» one user wrote.
«Why would they ‘hate’ making the right decision? He 100% deserved the ban,» another user replied.
Chase Elliott during driver introductions before the NASCAR Daytona 500 on February 19, 2023, in Daytona Beach, Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Hamlin says Elliott hooked him from behind on the 186th lap of the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Hamlin and Elliott were side by side when Hamlin forced Elliott into the outside wall. Elliott then made contact with Hamlin’s right rear, forcing him face-first into the wall.
Hamlin immediately made the comparison to the incident involving Wallace and Larson, adding that «He shouldn’t be running.»
Drivers have supported the decision to suspend Elliott, who was voted NASCAR’s most popular driver for the past five seasons.
«I’m glad NASCAR is consistent,» Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron said Sunday. «I think we’ve seen it in the past and it’s a little bit different but similar circumstances. So I think being consistent is good and I hope I’m never in those positions to have to deal with that or lose.» end of it.»
Bubba Wallace, right, argues with Kyle Larson after the two collided during a NASCAR Cup Series race on Oct. 16, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
«What happened to Bubba last year, very similar to what happened Monday night,» Ryan Blaney said Sunday.
«If you’re going to call a guy for making a move, you have to be consistent with what you call another guy for making a move. That’s pretty much what it is. It’s good that they were somewhat consistent in calling for exactly the same kind of retaliation and I think that’s the way it should be.»
Fox News’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.