Hendrick Motorsports has been on a rollercoaster throughout the entire 2023 NASCAR season but it hasn’t been due to the people in charge. The organization’s drivers have put themselves out of action on multiple occasions.
Chase Elliott missed six races after fracturing his left tibia in a snowboarding accident after the second weekend of the season. Then, Alex Bowman missed three points races after a fractured vertebra in a sprint car wreck following the weekend of Talladega Superspeedway.
It didn’t stop at that point. Elliott was suspended for one race at World Wide Technology Raceway after right-rear hooking Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin during the Coca-Cola 600. This became a major talking point and Hendrick Motorsports has now publicly talked about it.
Related: Hendrick Motorsports owner calls out Ross Chastain after big wreck at Darlington
Hendrick Motorsports discusses Chase Elliott’s suspension, agrees with NASCAR’s decision
Outside of its NASCAR Cup Series drivers missing races, Hendrick Motorsports has been slammed by the sport due to multiple violations. This includes the hood louvers incident at Phoenix Raceway and the greenhouse violations at the NASCAR R&D Center.
Hendrick Motorsports was given a 100-point and 10-playoff point reduction, four-race crew chief suspension, and a $100,000 fine to each vehicle for modifying hood louvers at Phoenix. However, the organization received all of its points back following its appeal.
It created major controversy as Kaulig Racing didn’t receive much love from the Appeal’s Panel. Then, William Byron and Alex Bowman were each given a penalty of 60 points, five playoff points, a two-race crew chief suspension, and a $75,000 fine.
These penalties were not appealed and Hendrick Motorsports did not receive another violation from NASCAR until Elliott’s intentional wreck. Now, Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick has finally publicly discussed Elliott’s suspension with the Associated Press. This is what the NASCAR owner had to say in the week leading up to Sonoma Raceway.
“Until something was done, I think that kind of rough racing was going to continue…Pushing and shoving, it’s a fine line, and when someone puts you out of the race, you get roughed up, emotions take over and you react. I think maybe guys will run each other a little bit cleaner moving forward. (Hendrick Motorsports) understand(s) the suspension and nobody really likes to have to go through that, but you just do it and move on.”
Rick Hendrick on Chase Elliott’s suspension for wrecking Denny Hamlin
The NextGen car has certainly created more aggressive driving since the start of the 2022 season. There have been more incidents, such as Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, that have crossed the line.
Ross Chastain has also seen his fair share of controversy after showing extreme aggressiveness since he joined Trackhouse Racing. However, Chastain’s on-track actions became a concern for the organization and he has stayed out of the drama.
Hendrick believes the aggression from the drivers has been out of control during the 2023 season and he revealed what he told Elliott following his one-race suspension at World Wide Technology Raceway.
“I just said ‘Hey, we’ve got to be careful with that.’ But I support (Chase Elliott), I really do support him. You get roughed up and it ruins your day, you know, you let your emotions take over.”
Rick Hendrick reveals what he told Chase Elliott following suspension
Elliott put himself in a tough situation after missing six races due to an injury and a one-race suspension has made it even more difficult. The driver of the No. 9 car is chasing a victory to lock himself into the playoffs but time is running out.
Luckily, Elliott is set to return for road course racing at Sonoma Raceway this weekend, which is one of his best styles. The Georgia native may have to rebuild his image and dig himself out of a deep hole but a victory at Sonoma would solve many of his problems right now.
Whether you are watching it live or looking for how to watch NASCAR on TV or another streaming platform, Sportsnaut has you covered for the upcoming weekend at Sonoma Raceway!