Clashes between Hendrick Motorsports teammates are a rarity, but last week\u2019s heated exchanges at Iowa Speedway between Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson stirred questions about their chemistry and the balance within the powerhouse team. While neither driver publicly addressed the on-track tension, veteran crew chief and analyst Steve Letarte brushed it off as part of the natural rhythm of hard racing and nothing Rick Hendrick should lose sleep over.<\/p>\n
So far, that seems true. Elliott and Larson insisted that there are no hard feelings after three separate run-ins during the NASCAR Cup Series race at Iowa.<\/p>\n
Larson had started third after a strong qualifying run and finished a caution-free Stage 1 in sixth. However, trouble began on a Lap 186 restart in Stage 2 when Elliott clipped Larson\u2019s left-front entering Turn 1 in a three-wide battle, with Larson up high and Chase Briscoe pinned inside. The contact sent Larson sliding, though he saved it with some sharp car control.<\/p>\n
Larson initially stayed quiet but soon reported that the car\u2019s handling had suffered. Twenty-three laps later, the Hendrick duo went door-to-door again on a restart, leaning on each other while fighting for a narrow patch of the middle lane. The final flashpoint came when contact from Christopher Bell pushed Larson up the track, barely missing the wall. That incident was enough to ignite Larson\u2019s temper.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow much f***ing room do I have to leave people? \u2026 I\u2019ve been quiet for 45 minutes\u2026 I\u2019ve been trying to be a good teammate, [and] a good competitor, and it hasn\u2019t gotten me anywhere for the last f***ing hour,\u201d Larson fumed over the radio<\/a>.<\/p>\n Elliott, unaware of Larson\u2019s remarks at the time, later admitted Larson had been put in difficult situations, but the No. 9 driver didn\u2019t believe it warranted a sit-down.<\/p>\n