Frustrated Dale Earnhardt Jr. Predicts Hendrick Motorsports Will Use Bubba Wallace’s Example as $400,000 Penalty Leaves Chase Elliott the Only Playoff Competitor

Hendrick Motorsports is in a tough spot. Owing to the L-2 penalties for making unwarranted modifications to the hood louvers, NASCAR announced a $100,000 fine for each of its cars, a deduction of 10 playoffs, and 100 team and driver points. However, it is noteworthy that Chase Elliott‘s injury has proved to be a blessing in disguise as he will be exempted from the whole fiasco. Reflecting on how HMS can capitalize on NASCAR’s most popular driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr tuned into his podcast mic to draw parallels with similar incidents from 2022 that unfolded for Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing. 

Josh Berry who has been substituting Elliot earns Xfinity points, rendering the fact that #9 would not be losing any driver points. While this will set off a “monkey wrench of confusion” in the minds of casual fans, Dale Earnhardt Jr found it a bit frustrating.

Dale Earnhardt Jr explained why the whole Chase Elliott fiasco doesn’t sit well with him

Amounting to a whopping $ 400,000, this is the highest combined penalty to have been levied in NASCAR history. Explaining how it might lead to confusion, Earnhardt Jr said in a recent episode of Dale Jr Download, “So, Chase Elliott is not penalized. Should he come back and do well… get into the playoffs. Now, we got to explain to everybody why Chase Elliott is not part of this conversation.”

“And we had the same situation last year with the owner’s points where Kurt Busch and the 23XI and the owner’s points and driver’s points and everything was different. There were drivers that weren’t in the playoffs but owners that were. Cars that were without the drivers.”

Agreeing with Earnhardt Jr, the show’s co-host Mike Davis added that 23XI Racing also switched drivers last season. With Bubba Wallace pitted in #45 after Kurt Busch’s injury, the car was still competing for the owner’s title. And maybe that’s what will happen to #9 this season.

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Dale Jr reveals the problem Chase Elliott’s situation will bring to broadcasters 

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Explaining how the complications would affect NASCAR fans and even broadcasters, Dale Earnhardt Jr said, “So, all of this throws a big monkey wrench of confusion into us trying to explain to the casual fan why. We’ll have to explain this multiple times. As each round of the playoffs goes by and this driver gets knocked out and this driver moves forward.”

“Why Chase Elliott is unaffected by the points and his teammates were and how that affects him and the driver’s championship but his car and the car owner in the Owner’s championship will be affected differently?”

“Anyway, that is frustrating to me as a broadcaster.”

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Well, the fact that Elliott’s return will or will not bring confusion will be ascertained only when the driver comes back to the track. Till then, the #9 will only be accumulating points for the Owner’s championship while his replacement Josh Berry collects Xfinity Series points.