"I don't care how long he's been doing it" - When Chase Elliott expressed disappointment in Kevin Harvick's driving style
In a 2021 Bristol race, Chase Elliott discussed his on-track incident with Kevin Harvick and expressed his frustration with the former Stewart-Haas Racing driver. The #9 Chevy driver, who lost a lap due to Harvick's maneuver, retaliated by attempting to repay the favor.
The 2014 Cup Series champion Harvick struggled with a winless streak throughout the 2021 season and finally came close to securing a win in the playoff round. Unfortunately, a tactic by Hendrick's Elliott sidelined the #4 Ford driver and ultimately benefited Kyle Larson, Elliott's teammate, in the closing laps.
In a post-race interview, the 2020 Cup Series champion Elliott expressed his disappointment in Harvick's racing style which led to him falling out of contention after a cut tire. He said:
"It's something he[Kevin Harvick] does all the time, you know, he runs into your left side constantly at other tracks and sometimes it does cut down your left side, other times it didn't and he does it. It did to me in Darlington, a few weeks ago, because he was tired of racing with me and whether he did it on purpose it doesn't matter."
"You know, at some point, you got to draw the line. So I don't care who he is or how long he's been doing it. I almost stand up for myself and my team and you know we'll go on down the road," added Elliott. [3:26]
The agitated Cup Series drivers got into a long conversation after exiting their vehicle on the pit road.
However, their on-track rivalry didn't end there as the veteran driver Harvick bumped Elliott after a couple of weekends at Charlotte ROVAL.
"Merry offseason and a Happy Christmas": When Christmas came early for Kevin Harvick as per Chase Elliott
The fierce Cup Series rivalry between Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott extended to the playoff race at the Charlotte Motor Speedway road course event.
Harvick nudged Elliott, sending him into the outside wall and damaging his rear. Soon after, Harvick crashed into Turn 1 with locked brakes, ending his race and eliminating him from the championship. In contrast, Elliott managed to advance to the next round of the playoffs.
After being released from the in-field medical center, Harvick shared a cryptic message when asked about him wrecking Elliott. He said:
"Sometimes real life teaches you good lessons, you remember Bristol?" [0:40]
The Rick Hendrick driver Elliott also shared a few words after the race.
"It's all good. I'm glad we're moving on, proud of our team. As far as Kevin goes, just want to wish them a merry offseason and a happy Christmas," said Elliott. [0:49]
Notably, Chase Elliott couldn't defend his then Cup Series title but was a part of the celebration as his HMS teammate, Kyle Larson, won his maiden championship trophy in 2021.