Chase Elliott responds to Ross Chastain contact at COTA

Chase Elliott and Ross Chastain were involved in an altercation at the beginning of last weekend’s EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. Since, there’s been much debate about the incident, and the duo’s response to their kerfuffle.

The moment in question occurred on Lap 1, when Chastain dive-bombed Elliott off a turn, spinning him out and collecting Denny Hamlin and Connor Zilisch in the process. However, the No. 1 Chevrolet wheelman decided to avoid Elliott altogether at the end of the race, instead of taking his medicine with the Hendricks Motorsports star looking for some revenge. 

It’s easy to see why Elliott was piping-mad with Chastain. He had a car capable of winning, and he was forced to race from behind throughout the majority of the afternoon. He still ended up P4 when the checkered flag waved, but the former champion had to be wondering what could’ve been if Chastain didn’t run him over.

As Elliott turns the page to Phoenix Raceway this weekend, the topic hasn’t disappeared from many’s purview. Looking back on the moment, he bit his tongue a little, but Elliott let the world know of his frustration with Chastain on Saturday.

“There’s not really a lot for me to comment on. I hate it happened,” Elliott told FOX’s Bob Pockrass, regarding last weekend’s incident. “It’s easy for me to say I wish it wasn’t on the first lap, which is true, but if it happens at any point in the race, you’re probably going to be bummed out about it. Was really proud of our recovery, and to be able to get back to where we were, I just hate that we had to recover.

“I hate that we had to do what we had to do. Our car never drove like it did on Saturday, which is frustrating, after that. But outside that, I don’t really have a comment on the situation.”

All told, one has to wonder if Elliott has squashed the beef with Chastain, or if he’ll deliver some payback down the line, when the Trackhouse Racing star least expects it. If the duo finds themselves side-by-side in the desert, here’s to hoping FOX captures any potential battle.

Chase Elliott will be looking for his second career win at Phoenix Raceway this weekend. The first time, he won the championship and the race. The stakes aren’t quite that high, but a win would go a long way towards him forgetting about COTA, that’s for sure.