During his long career, Kevin Harvick had several rivals in the NASCAR Cup Series. From his tussle with Greg Biffle in 2002 to his scrap with Juan Pablo Montoya in 2007, ‘The Closer’ has never been kind when he got wrecked. In 2021, he had a brief feud with Chase Elliott, and things got heated at Bristol and descended into a massive post-race confrontation between the two.

It all began when Elliott was leading with 36 laps to go at Bristol. Harvick used Josh Bilicki’s lapped car to hold up the #9 driver on the top line near the wall. After a bit of tussling, Harvick’s #4 Ford hit the left side of Elliott’s #9 Chevy. In the end, Kyle Larson won the race ahead of Harvick, while Elliott ended up 25th. The fallout was glorious, and there was even a scene of a furious Harvick slamming his helmet on the roof of his Ford. Recently, Harvick revisited that incident and spoke about the immediate aftermath of the confrontation.

Kevin Harvick revealed the fate of his glasses after the incident

“It was like I was talking to Keelan… It was like speaking to a nine-year-old“ said Kevin Harvick after the race, likening Chase Elliot’s behavior to that of his then 9-year-old son, Keelan Harvick. Harvick felt that Elliott was hung up on one aspect of the race without indulging in a broader discussion about what occurred. Definitely something a child would do to get their way out of an argument.

This clip of his post-race interview was played on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour presented by NASCAR on Fox. Harvick enjoyed a laugh at it and then proceeded to explain how he was sending a message to a young Elliott. Fox Sports’ Bob Pockrass said, “I think that was Kevin trying to be his intimidating self,” and Harvick agreed with him, saying, “You were a great outlet for that, Bob. We talk about stuff like that all the time. You know when you want to get a message delivered, you have to deliver it to the right people. That message was delivered to the right people.”

Now, Kevin Harvick has insisted that it’s all water under the bridge between himself and Elliott. He confessed that in hindsight, he can look back and laugh, but at the time, he was hopping mad. Harvick added, “Those moments are fun though, Chase and I… We’ve always had a pretty good relationship… I was mad obviously at that particular moment… You have to protect your turf and sometimes you have to be able to send that message out there and kind of set the tone… on how we’re going to handle this situation going forward.”

The 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion insisted that drivers have the right to stand on their business and send a message to others that it’s not all fun and games out here. And we are pretty sure Harvick being a senior to Elliott played a role in his antics. However, it just goes to show how angry Harvick was with Elliott for the incident. No one could blame him, because the two were fighting for the race win, and the incident cost them both.

Chase Elliott seeks redemption in 2025

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Of course, all this is history and everyone has moved on. Four years later, the #9 driver is gearing up for a brand new campaign. 2023 was a nightmare because he missed a few races due to a snowboarding injury and a one-race suspension. Owing to that, he failed to reach the Playoffs for the first time in his career. Fortunately, 2024 was a bit kinder, as he won at the Texas Motor Speedway, snapping a long win drought.

However, the playoffs proved to be brutal, as Elliott could only manage one top-10 finish in the first five playoff races, which led to a hard road back to the Championship 4. A 2nd place finish at Martinsville was not enough, as Ryan Blaney took the win and booked his spot in Pheonix. A win at ‘The Clash’ at Bowman Gray was the best way to start the season and Elliott will look to build on this for Daytona coming up.

Elliott is undoubtedly a talented driver, and Hendrick Motorsports is one of the best teams in NASCAR. However, the #9 driver will have to contend against his HMS teammates, and several rivals. Meanwhile, a retired Kevin Harvick will be calling the races from the commentary booth. Do you think Chase Elliott can reclaim his Cup Series glory in 2025?