“Expected It to Be a Little More Respectful”—Chase Elliott’s COTA Replacement Vents His Frustrations After Final Restart Chaos Turned His Cup Series Debut Into a Nightmare

On Sunday, Tyler Reddick triumphed at the Circuit of the Americas. However, not many drivers were thrilled with the quality of racing at the track. Among the many complainants was Hendrick Motorsports driver, Jordan Taylor. The 31-year-old WeatherTech SportsCar driver was roped in to replace the injured Chase Elliott at COTA. Taylor finished the race at the 24th spot, which was disappointing, so he really let loose after getting out of the car.

After the Cup race, a disappointed Taylor told Bob Pockrass, “Every restart was kind of the same. It was just, try not to get smashed in the back or the side. You almost had to be aggressive not to get smashed in the back. So I tried be aggressive and I guess I left one lane open. Not sure who went down the inside but they were never going to make the corner.

“They used us as their brake and kind of wiped out a bunch of guys.”

Jordan Taylor talks about drivers’ lack of respect and what he should have done differently

The 3-time IMSA SportsCar Championship winner confessed that he should have expected some roughing up. He said, “I definitely made a bunch of mistakes in the beginning that set us back, but the speed of the car was there. Didn’t survive the day as well as I hoped.”

READ MORE: “What a Bunch of Hacks” – Tony Stewart’s NASCAR Driver’s Rant Goes Viral as Hendrick Motorsports Star Alex Bowman Calls Out “Embarrassing” Scenes at COTA

Taylor was under the impression that his contemporaries would race cleanly and respectfully. Instead, the Hendrick Motorsports #9 driver was left kicking himself for not being more aggressive on the circuit. He said, “Guys don’t really plan on making clean moves. I kind of expected it to be a little more respectful.

The guys go in expecting you to get the car stopped, so just an experience thing. I should have probably known that from watching years past and probably been more aggressive. Kind of, push guys into other guys and not be the guy getting pushed through. So, super happy to make my Cup race debut thanks to Hendrick Motorsports.”

Admittedly, it is unclear if he will be back in the saddle as Elliott continues to make recovery. For now, it is likely that Josh Berry will deputize for Elliott in the upcoming races.

When will Chase Elliott be back?

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The 2020 Cup Series champion’s injury away from the race track was a huge blow to his team. As it turned out, he was out snowboarding when he had an accident and broke his leg. This was the first setback to the team as later in the season, HMS was heavily penalized by NASCAR for making unsanctioned modifications to louvers.

However, Elliott was a part of the broadcasting team for Fox Sports’ live coverage of Sunday’s race at COTA. Although he joined the broadcast remotely, he looked in good spirits and seems to be progressing well with his recovery. Who knows, maybe he can pull a Kyle Busch 2015 and sneak into championship contention when he returns.

WATCH THIS STORY: “I Feel Like…”—The Road Course King, Chase Elliott, Confessed His Disappointment After an Unfortunate Run in 2023