Denny Hamlin Takes a Jab at Chase Elliott’s Desperation Without Bringing Rick Hendrick’s Wrath

In the wake of a stellar display at Indianapolis, all eyes were on Chase Elliott, with many deeming Watkins Glen his stomping ground and expecting him to clinch the title there. However, fate threw a curveball when Elliott’s car gasped its last at Lap 55, forcing him to pull over from 7th inside the bus stop.

While the lion’s share of fingers were pointed at crew chief Alan Gustafson for the ill-fated call, Chase Elliott’s all-time rival, Denny Hamlin, believes the onus falls on Elliott for not being well-versed in the intricacies of his vehicle and for being too desperate to win the race.

“It just doesn’t make sense to me,” remarks Denny Hamlin on Chase Elliott’s blunder

In the aftermath of what could only be described as a colossal oversight or perhaps a misguided strategic call, Chase Elliott found himself stranded mid-raceway, his fuel tank emptied prematurely. This unexpected halt swiftly demoted him in the rankings, with recovery proving elusive after falling a lap behind. Scrutiny of the incident revealed that misleading data might have been at play, a notion supported by the radio correspondence shared between crew chief Alan Gustafson and Elliott.

However, the plot thickened when Denny Hamlin, a racing counterpart, shed light on the situation in a recent episode of his podcast, Actions Detrimental. Perhaps to avoid ruffling the feathers of Rick Hendrick, Hamlin bypassed casting blame on the entire team, opting instead to direct his criticism at NASCAR’s golden boy. He remarked, “I don’t know any driver that doesn’t know how much reserve switch will get him. […] It just doesn’t make sense to me.”

Yet, acknowledging Elliott’s desperation to clinch victory and thus secure a spot in the playoffs, Hamlin conceded, “But he needed a win anyway. I know we are making a big deal of it. He needed a win; he probably wasn’t going to win,” concluding on an uplifting note, “They still got another shot, and I can assure you, they [HMS] are going to be pushing Chase and Alex.”

However, in stark contrast to Denny Hamlin’s perspective, many dedicated fans firmly believe that the miscalculations of Alan Gustafson are to blame for Elliott’s untimely departure from the race.

Watch This Story: Chase Elliott Apologizes to Rick Hendrick and Team for Losing After Being Confused by HMS Decision

Fans point fingers at the HMS crew chief after an unexpected end to Chase Elliott’s race

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A tidal wave of frustration has swept across NASCAR fans, many of whom took to social media to vent their ire at the Hendrick Motorsports #9 crew chief. The miscalculation at Watkins Glen International, which led to a fuel shortfall during the third stage, has certainly not gone unnoticed.

Here are a few of the reactions from the Twitterati following the news of Chase Elliott’s unexpected pit stop due to empty tanks:

“Alan needs to go! He’s terrible this year and it seems like there’s no good communication between him and chase! This year has been done for awhile.”

“Give Alan a raise and extension. Dude’s a genius.”

“Way to go Alan next time listen to your driver…good job”

“Alan I hope you’re happy with yourself”

While the grapevine suggests that the HMS team and its crew chief bear the brunt of responsibility for Chase Elliott’s track misfortune, Denny Hamlin opines that the onus lies with the driver to grasp the nuts and bolts of the vehicle. In the wake of this faux pas, all eyes are on HMS to see how they’ll mend fences with Chase Elliott during the climactic regular-season showdown at Daytona.

Read More: “That Sounded Odd to Me” – Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Silence Could Cost Chase Elliott a Spot in the Playoffs