NASCAR's most popular driver is spending this weekend on the sidelines.
Hendrick Motorsports star Chase Elliott was suspended for this week's race at Gateway for his actions in a wreck that knocked him and Denny Hamlin out of Monday's Coca-Cola 600, the racing organization announced on Tuesday.
Elliott, the 2020 Cup Series champion, was accused of intentionally wrecking the Joe Gibbs Racing driver. The crash occurred on Lap 186 after the two drivers got into one another making their way around Turn 4.
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The claims were substantiated by NASCAR, which ruled that Elliott knowingly took out Hamlin.
Officials found that Elliott made the move after being forced into the wall by Hamlin. Denny posted a screengrab of Elliott's steering chart on Twitter, seemingly confirming NASCAR's suspicions.
Removing all doubt. His steering came back to the exact same position it had previously after we came off the wall.
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) May 29, 2023
The higher the line on steering the further LEFT it’s going. pic.twitter.com/DKo7mrLz28
"It was an intentional act by Chase," Elton Sawyer, NASCAR's senior vice president of competition, said on SIRIUS XM Radio, per Bob Pockrass.
Elliott sent Hamlin spiraling after delivering a crunching blow to the side of the No. 11 car. The result was carnage: Hamlin's front hood folded like an accordion, with its innards spilling along the concrete. Things didn't turn out much better for Elliott, whose left front bumper looked like it had been kissed by a cannon.
Hamlin, who won last year's iteration of the race, was furious. Speaking to crew chief Chris Gabehart over the radio, Hamlin demanded that NASCAR park Elliott's "f—ing ass."
MORE: Denny Hamlin blasts Chase Elliott after getting turned into wall at Coca-Cola 600
He reiterated as much in a post-race interview with Fox's Josh Sims, likening the incident to Bubba Wallace's wreck with Kyle Larson at Las Vegas last year. Wallace, who drives for Hamlin-co-owned 23XI Racing, performed a hook move on the No. 5 car, causing a major wreck. He was also suspended one race for his actions, a move that Hamlin supported at the time.
"It's a tantrum and he shouldn't be racing next week," Hamlin said of Elliott. "Right-rear hooks are absolutely unacceptable. I don't care. It's the same thing Bubba Wallace did with Kyle Larson. Exact same. He shouldn't be racing."
"It's a tantrum and he shouldn't be racing next week."@dennyhamlin with some strong words for @chaseelliott after being intentionally wreck by the No. 9.#NASCAR #CocaCola600 pic.twitter.com/lJkB00TPyz
— NASCAR on TSN (@NASCARonTSN) May 29, 2023
Hendrick Motorsports announced that it would not appeal Elliott's penalty. Corey LaJoie will take Elliott's seat in the No. 9 car. Truck series driver Carson Hocevar will fill in for LaJoie in Spire Motorsports' No. 7 car.
"We understand NASCAR’s need to maintain consistency in its officiating," Hendrick Motorsports said in a statement. "The penalty will not be appealed, and we will submit a formal request for a playoff waiver."
Elliott finds himself on the outside of NASCAR's playoff standings as we pass the halfway point of the season. The No. 9 driver missed six races after fracturing his fibula in a snowboarding accident and finds himself 81 points adrift of the playoffs at this point in the season.
That deficit will only grow after the weekend's Gateway race.
If he's unable to make up the point difference and fails to win another race during the regular season, Elliott would miss his first-ever playoffs since becoming a full-time Cup Series driver.