NASCAR’s Steve Phelps on Chase Elliott suspension: ‘We hate it but it’s a call we needed to make’

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NASCAR favorite Chase Elliott was absent from Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Collection Race at World Broad Expertise Raceway after he was suspended for deliberately crashing into Denny Hamlin within the Coca-Cola 600 final week. 

Whereas most drivers have seemingly supported the disciplinary decision, a remark from NASCAR president Steve Phelps forward of this previous weekend’s race has left some followers confused. 

Chase Elliott fixes earpiece

Chase Elliott prepares to qualify for the NASCAR Cup Collection Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway on Might 13, 2023, in South Carolina. (Logan Riely/Getty Photos)

In keeping with FOX Sports activities’ Bob Pockrass, Phelps stated Saturday that the choice to droop Elliott was primarily based on the precedent that had been set when Bubba Wallace was suspended in October after he crashed Kyle Larson on the NASCAR Cup Collection race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

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“It might be tough to have a dialog with Denny or Bubba or another person and say, ‘Hey, it was not OK for Bubba to do it and it is OK for Chase to do it,” Phelps informed Pockrass.

“We hate it nevertheless it’s a name we would have liked to make.”

It was Phelps’ last comment that left followers scratching their head. 

“So if I’m studying this proper, Phelps actually didn’t need to droop Elliott. I’m assuming they didn’t need the backlash,” one consumer wrote.

“Why would they ‘hate’ making the suitable name? He deserved the suspension 100%,” one other consumer responded. 

Chase Elliott rides in Daytona

Chase Elliott throughout driver introductions earlier than the NASCAR Daytona 500, Feb. 19, 2023, in Daytona Seaside, Florida. (AP Photograph/John Raoux, File)

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Hamlin says he was proper rear hooked by Elliott on Lap 186 of the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Hamlin and Elliott had been side-by-side when Hamlin pressured Elliott into the surface wall. Elliott then made contact with Hamlin’s proper rear, forcing him head-on into the wall.

Hamlin instantly made the comparability to the incident involving Wallace and Larson and added that “he shouldn’t be racing.” 

Drivers have supported the choice to droop Elliott, who was voted NASCAR’s hottest driver for the previous 5 seasons. 

“I’m simply glad that NASCAR is constant,” Hendrick Motorsports driver William Byron stated Sunday. “I believe that we’ve seen it previously and it is a bit of bit totally different circumstances however related. So I believe simply being constant is sweet and I hope I’m by no means in these positions to should encounter that or be on the dropping finish of it.” 

Bubba Wallace and Kyle Larson

Bubba Wallace, proper, argues with Kyle Larson after the 2 crashed throughout a NASCAR Cup Collection race, Oct. 16, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photograph/John Locher)

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“What occurred to Bubba final 12 months, similar to what occurred on Monday night time,” Ryan Blaney stated Sunday. 

“If you happen to’re going to make a name on one man for doing a little transfer, you must be constant on what you name on one other man for doing a transfer. That’s simply sort of what it’s. It’s good that they had been sort of constant within the requires the very same sort of retaliation and I believe that’s the way it needs to be.” 

Fox Information’ Ryan Morik contributed to this report.

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