Chase Elliott Hints at Internal HMS Rivalry as Kyle Larson Seemingly Kicks Already Down Teammate With an “Unnecessary” Move

Hendrick Motorsports is one of the most successful teams in the history of NASCAR, but sometimes even heavyweights have moments of brewing tension within their ranks. That is exactly what happened in Kansas with two HMS champions, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. It was not the first time the two drivers had an unfortunate incident with each other, and things did get quite heated at that moment.

Both Elliott and Larson were in positions to challenge for the win and for someone like Chase, who has not won a race this year, it was undoubtedly frustrating. As the checkered flag fell in Kansas, Elliott finished the race in sixth place while Larson finished in fourth. HMS would gladly take it after what transpired between the two.

Chase Elliott Expresses Dissatisfaction With Teammate Kyle Larson on Radio

It was the final pit stop of the second playoff race in the 2023 Cup Series. Kyle Larson had already won the week before in Darlington, securing his place in the round of 12. Chase Elliott had not won a single race and was not a part of the playoffs, but fighting for the owner’s championship.

However, Chase Elliott is someone who is accustomed to winning. For him to not win a single race in a season and then miss out on the opportunity due to an incident that was not even his fault will be extremely frustrating. And that frustration showed in Kansas.

During the last pit stop of the race, Elliott and Larson were side by side, heading back to the track. But Brad Keselowski, who had also pitted with them, came out of his stall right in front of the #5. As a result, Larson had to slow down and steer right to avoid getting into the side of Keselowski. However, at this point, Elliott was already on the right side of Larson, trying to get a good exit out of the pits. Had Keselowski not come in Larson’s way, he and Elliott would have made their way out the pits without bumping into each other.

Elliott had probably not seen the situation Larson was in and he was not happy with his teammate. As they exited onto the track, Elliott gave Larson a slight nudge, expressing his dissatisfaction.

“Hell if I know dude. Unnecessary,” Elliott said when asked if his car was alright after the bump.

Larson was a lot calmer after the incident as he explained why he couldn’t get out of his teammate’s way.

“You can tell Chase it wasn’t my fault. The #6 was coming out right in front of me,” the #5 driver said.

Ever since the incident transpired, speculations that there was some internal tension at HMS are doing the rounds among fans. And it is understandable why. After the race, Elliott was seen speaking to Larson, and he did not seem best pleased.

But when NASCAR journalist Bob Pockrass asked what the message he gave to Larson, he simply answered, “There was no message.”

Despite all the talks of there being tension in Hendrick Motorsports, things have settled down and the two drivers have resolved their differences. There were a number of people who actually liked Elliott’s reaction to the incident, including a prominent HMS insider.

Read More: Chase Elliott Dramatically Breaks Silence on Kyle Larson Feud- “You Guys Love Your Drama”

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On a recent episode of the NASCAR on NBC podcast, former HMS crew chief Steve Letarte was asked by host Nate Ryan whether the issue between Larson and Elliott had been dealt with.

“I think it’s put to bed,” Letarte answered. He then went on to explain a possible reason why Chase reacted the way he did for something his teammate was not even at fault. He also said that he liked how Elliott conducted himself.

“I love to see it out of Chase….I’m never going to say he’s not there to win because I believe Chase straps in to try to win. But, when you are a winning driver and a champion and you get eliminated from the playoffs, it would be remiss, it would be a major lie to think it doesn’t change your approach,” Letarte added.

As things stand, the feud between Elliott and Larson seems to have been taken care of. The two drivers will now look forward to Bristol, where they will once again be hoping to be in a race-winning position. Only without any teammate mishaps this time.

Watch this Story: Kyle Larson’s Trouble Could Harm HMS Chances As JGR Reveals They Have Advantage