NASCAR Fandom Left Praying for Chase Elliott to Leave Rick Hendrick After Cheeky Kyle Larson Fueled the Fire

On May 28, Tony Stewart and Gene Haas announced the closing of Stewart-Haas Racing at the end of the season. On June 20, Gene Haas announced he’d retain one of the four charters. And on June 21, it was confirmed that Chase Briscoe wouldn’t be the one driving for the Haas Factory Team in 2025. But it wasn’t the SHR driver who confirmed this. It was his future teammate. As surprising as that is, what was even more surprising was Kyle Larson’s reaction.

Here’s the story. With Martin Truex Jr announcing his retirement from full-time Cup Series racing at the end of the season, his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell was asked about his potential role as the team leader during the pre-race interview at NHMS. That’s when the #20 driver almost pulled a Tom Holland. Bell name-dropped “Chase” joining the team, saying, “I don’t think there really is a leadership role in that aspect, and whenever Chase comes into the car…”

Now, we know that in the NASCAR Cup Series, there are two Chases: Chase Elliott and Chase Briscoe. Conventional wisdom and logic imply that Briscoe is the person Bell referred to and will join JGR and drive the #19 Toyota. However, since the 29-year-old didn’t specify which Chase, an obvious question arose: Are Kyle Larson, Alex Bowman, and William Byron losing their best buddy at Hendrick Motorsports despite having his best run this season? No matter how sarcastically, the #5 driver’s tweet sure suggested it.

In an attempt to make light of Christopher Bell’s slip-up, Kyle Larson didn’t miss out on an opportunity to tease his teammate. He wrote, “Wishing @chaseelliott the best on his new adventure at @JoeGibbsRacing. Have enjoyed you as a teammate! 😂 Good Luck #d19” The winningest team’s drivers have been together for almost four years now and are undoubtedly putting their best foot forward. While Bowman and Byron joined in 2018, NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver is the HMS’ veteran.’

Chase Elliott started with Hendrick Motorsports in 2016, driving the #24 Chevrolet before moving to the #9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 in 2018. Kyle Larson, the newest member of the team, joined in 2021. Notably, they all have enjoyed varying degrees of success at the organization during this stint. After Kyle Larson decided to take Bell’s words in a different direction, it started an entire movement on the internet – fans wanting Chase Elliott to leave Hendrick Motorsports, and some even suggesting the best pair-up for the #5 driver. Crazy, right?

Of course, most fans understood the joke and joined in on the fun. However, amidst the fun and games, some fans were either gullible or seriously pondered the case of Chase Elliott leaving.

Larson’s Chase Elliott claim added to “how bonkers this silly season has been”

Some fans wanted to court chaos and see the ‘Most Popular Driver’ and ‘Most Infamous Driver’ as teammates. Per one response in the same Reddit thread, “Lord, I don’t ask for much. But please, please, please let me watch heads explode as the new redneck Jesus joins forces with them cheatin’ Yoder’s and be teammates with Satan himself, Denny Hamlin.” However, as the fan suggested, the #11 Toyota driver and Elliott in the same team would be a sight to behold, given their history.

Another user saw common sense and recognized the joke but could not help but wonder. They said, “I know he is joking, but it would be funny if Chase Elliott was the Chase that is going to the 19.” Ever wondered what would have happened if history played out differently? One NASCAR fan pondered, “Of all the alternate universe timelines I want to see, this is definitely top 5 for me.” NASCAR is known to be full of juicy what-ifs. For example, what if Kyle Busch stayed with Hendrick Motorsports?

Someone else almost fell for it but confessed that the 2024 silly season has already been the craziest. They said, “Sh*t, for a second, I thought it was. With how bonkers this silly season has been so far, of course, the Coach could steal Hendrick’s second in command away!” However, they admitted that money could be a factor in tempting him away. Case in point, Jimmie Johnson was loyal to Chevrolet until he ran a team, and Toyota’s deep pockets were too lucrative.

Another user agreed with the sentiment: “If Chase Elliott chooses to lose MPD for more money, he would probably take it.” But there was someone else who sympathized with Chase Briscoe, probably the intended “Chase,” who might be feeling confused. They said, “Imagine if this is how Chase Briscoe finds out.” It wasn’t how Briscoe found out, though.

After Bell’s slip-up, Frontstretch interviewed Briscoe and asked if he’d seen the ordeal. “I still haven’t seen it because I have no signal here. But he texted me right before we went hot lap when he said, ‘Chase, I’m sorry, I messed up really bad,’” Briscoe said. So, not only did the future JGR driver know about his move to Joe Gibbs’ camp, but he also got a preemptive apology from his future teammate.

Someone did raise a pertinent question: “Has Chase Elliott resigned with Hendrick yet?” This could be a valid inquiry, considering Elliott is already enjoying a good stay with the winningest team this season. The 2020 Cup champion signed a five-year contract extension with Hendrick Motorsports in 2022 that’ll keep him there until the end of 2027.

Chase Elliott is back to where he was pre-injury, and that’s being a championship contender. With 507 points and 1 win in the Cup Series standings, he’s on the right path to adding another title to his name. The “Chase” speculation was never a speculation. It was just a humorous effort by Larson to dive into the whole Christopher Bell slip-up.

Now, wheels are already in motion, as Christopher Bell’s spoiler settled one of the hottest debates of this silly season, confirming Chase Briscoe’s collaboration with Joe Gibbs Racing as he is set to take Martin Truex Jr’s spot. However, what are your thoughts on Briscoe driving the No. 20 Toyota? Do you think he is the right fit?