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via Imago

via Imago

The high-stakes showdown in Indianapolis unfolded with relatively less drama than NASCAR is typically known for. The race ran for 78 laps under green conditions after the early mayhem caused predominantly by Joey Logano. The top 3 runners in the final stage—Michael McDowell, Chase Elliott, and Daniel Suarez—had everything to fight for. So it was natural to expect some kind of incident to happen between the leaders.

And it finally came to pass with 35 laps remaining in the race. It was the #99 of Daniel Suarez that tangled with the #9 of Chase Elliott. This quickly sparked a heated conversation on social media as Elliott’s fans started to trash Suarez. However, there was a twist in the tale as the leaders came in for their final pit stops.

Chase Elliott and Daniel Suarez got involved in an incident and Elliott lost the second spot

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The #9 HMS car of Chase Elliott was making ground in the third stage, holding a strong position at P2. Suarez, after losing his pole position to both McDowell and Elliott was eager to make up for it. The pit stops were around the corner and Elliott’s #9 started to lose a little grip in the rear. This gave Suarez all the impetus to make the pass on Elliott and start chasing the leader. But the race took a sharp turn when Daniel Suarez’s #99 car aggressively overshot the braking mark and pushed Elliott off the racing line.

It was lap 48 when the #99 car bumped Elliott out of the way at turn 12 to move up into P2. This move, though bold, triggered a surge of disapproval from fans, especially considering Elliott’s immense popularity. Jeff Gluck took this incident to Twitter with the caption, “That was quite aggressive by Daniel Suarez. Chase Elliott is going to remember that one.”

Fans and experts were equally divided in their comments on the incident. For some, it was Suarez who tried to do Elliott dirty, while others felt Elliott was unable to keep his position and was in Suarez’s way, hence Suarez had no choice but to go aggressive.

However, Gluck’s point regarding a possible payback couldn’t have been said too soon. Just a few laps after Suarez bumped into Elliott and moved up to P2, the leading trio of McDowell, Suarez, and Elliott opted for crucial pit stops. And as fate would have it, Suarez’s pit stop went awry. His 23-second pit stop ended up costing Suarez the second position and put him at a disadvantage of about 10 seconds to Elliott as he came out of the pits.

READ MORE: “It’s Getting Tougher” – Chase Elliott Still Hopeless Despite Having a Great Qualifying

The pit incident of Daniel Suarez gave the Elliott fans the last laugh as they bashed Suarez with comments about “karma.”

Elliott fans believe Daniel Suarez got hit by karma

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If Elliott were to recover his position after being pushed wide by Saurez, there was only one thing that could have worked. And that was a bad pit stop for Suarez. And that’s exactly what happened. When Suarez stopped, the wheel gun pipe got tangled and went under the front left tire and got stuck there. As a result, the pit crew had to stop the routine mid-way. The jackman, however, showed quick reflexes as he quickly ran around and raised the car to unstuck the wheel gun. But the damage had been done and Suarez lost precious seconds to Elliott.

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The online chatter following Suarez’s pit incident saw Elliott fans come alive with a sarcastic sense of humor. A user lightheartedly commented, “Karma got you quick @Daniel_SuarezG 😂😂😂,” while another said, “Karma is a bit** ain’t it. 24-second stop ouch.” The theme of karma went on for a while as Elliott’s fans continued to grill Suarez. “Chase just got his karma with Suarez having a slow stop. #NASCAR #NASCAR75.” For Elliott’s supporters, this was a moment of triumph after a dirty move.

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Watch This Story | Chase Elliott Fails To Follow in His Father’s Footsteps

In the end, Elliott fell short of the win by just over a second. What did you make of the aggressive move by Daniel Suarez? Do you think Elliott will pay him back for this in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.