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“A Huge Win for Our Sport”: Kevin Harvick on Chase Elliott Fulfilling His Redemption Arc in Texas

Published 04/17/2024, 10:55 AM EDT

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Chase Elliott’s triumphant return to the winner’s charts in the Cup Series is the talk of the town at present. That is mainly because of his inspiring story of rebound. Elliott had a dismal fate in 2023 when he suffered from an accident and missed out on several races. But he was determined to break that slump.

Even Hamlin, whom Chase Elliott used up on the finishing laps of Texas, hailed Elliott’s return to glory. Now another veteran driver has made it a point to congratulate the No. 9 Chevrolet driver.

Kevin Harvick euphoric about Chase Elliott’s win

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Once upon a time, things were not fine between Kevin Harvick and Chase Elliott. Well, it was not that long back, as in 2021, the two drivers almost got into a brawl. Kevin Harvick waited patiently after Elliott bumped his left side. Then they confronted each other, crew members restraining their escalating emotions. Harvick even smashed his own glasses to vent his anger.

Three years down the line things have drastically changed. Harvick’s feisty nature has toned down post-retirement. He even saluted Chase Elliott’s aggressive nature in Texas. “That’s what won him the race. He was as aggressive as I’ve ever seen him race. Especially over the last couple of years…He managed to gain a lot of spots on the restarts. Chase and Ross Chastain, they were the two guys I thought were the most aggressive on the restarts. And they were also the two guys that stayed up front the most during the day.”

 

Overall, Harvick was blissful about his rival completing a redemption circle after last year’s setbacks. “So, huge win for Chase Elliott, huge win for our sport. Super happy for Chase. I mean, we all need Chase Elliott to be successful. I think sometimes he feels that pressure and I would assume it probably weighs on him a little bit. He’s had a ton of things that have weighed on him over the last couple of years with his injury, getting suspended, switching to the new car, having to answer all the questions about, ‘What is it?’ And him openly saying, ‘Hey, this car has presented some new challenges to me.’”

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The No. 9 Hendrick team faced those challenges with heads held high, as teamwork was essential in Elliott’s win.

Elliott’s golden team pushed him hard in his goals

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Chase Elliott’s 19th career win at Texas Motor Speedway was a huge personal milestone. Yet the humble driver chose to draw the spotlight on his team’s efforts. After his 2023 setbacks, Elliott feared losing his allies. But the No. 9 team stood by him through thick and thin, and Elliott acknowledged that, saying, “We’ve made each other better. They push me to be a better driver and a better person.”

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Even Kevin Harvick marveled at the team’s efforts. “The thing that I love about this particular situation is the fact that there was no crew chief change, no team change. It was just, ‘Hey, we’re gonna work through this, and we’re gonna figure out what it takes to get you through this’. And I’m happy that the winless streak is over. I’m happy for Chase, I’m happy for Alan and Hendrick Motorsports.”

Kevin Harvick is spot on in commending the No. 9 team, and we hope to see more mesmerizing victories shining on their resumes.

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Written by:

Sumedha Mukherjee

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Sumedha Mukherjee is a NASCAR Writer at EssentiallySports who is known for her in-depth track analysis as well as her lifestyle coverage of Cup drivers like Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick. Inspired by the Kiwi's journey so far, Sumedha has also written pieces on Shane Van Gisbergen, predicting how the Supercars Champion would do in the new and unfamiliar American setting. Pairing her research skills with her vast experience as a writer, Sumedha creates stories her readers can easily get lost in.
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Edited by:

Shreya Singh