Chase Elliott’s Duels With Hendrick Motorsports Teammate Kyle Larson Proclaimed “Modern Jeff Gordon vs Jimmie Johnson” as NASCAR Looks Back at 2022 Season

As the 2022 NASCAR Cup Series season progressed, the championship battle started getting even more intense. While the defending champion Kyle Larson was keen to retain his title, his teammate Chase Elliott was aiming for his second. Though sparks were expected to fly, few could have predicted what happened next.

The Hendrick Motorsports teammates clashed twice over the course of the season, breaking one of the most sacred unwritten rules in motor racing. On the first occasion, Larson nearly forced Elliott into the wall at Auto Club Speedway. Later on at Watkins Glen, the two were side-by-side at the restart and Larson forced Elliott off the track.

Resurfaced Video of Chase Elliott With Dale Earnhardt Sr. Before 2001 Tragedy Sends NASCAR Fans Into a Frenzy

How did NASCAR fans react to the Kyle Larson–Chase Elliott civil war?

Some people acknowledged that the Elliott–Larson rivalry was unnecessarily hyped up by the media. Having said that though, Chase Elliott should have been smarter and stayed on the inside line instead of the outside. Considering that there were just a handful of laps left, Larson was going to push and risk running wide.

Interestingly, one user called the duo the “Modern Jeff Gordon vs Jimmie Johnson.”

However, some people were of the opinion that the first incident was an accident, and the second one was just hard racing. A few even observed that at Watkins Glen, Elliott forced Larson onto the curb. This was long before the defending champion forced his teammate off the track. There were also some who admitted that Elliott had done a lot worse over the course of his career.

But there was also a section of the fanbase that seemed to sympathize with Chase Elliott. A user even mentioned placing Kyle Larson on their “sh*t-list.” 

Taking a dig at Larson, a fan joked about Elliott “owing” Bubba Wallace a steak dinner—a reference to the collision and subsequent brawl between Larson and Wallace. This was during the NASCAR Cup race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway where the two had collided. An incensed Wallace had then come up to Larson and shoved him repeatedly. The 23XI Racing driver had clearly been more aggressive at the time.

Others found the incident where Ross Chastain wrecked Elliott to be more sinister. This occurred at the Phoenix Raceway during the season finale. What made this even more cruel was the fact that Elliott and Chastain were fighting for the championship.

At the end of the day, what’s done is done and there is little that Elliott and Larson could do to change it. All they can do is put their heads down and focus on their 2023 NASCAR Cup Series campaign. Who do you consider to be in the wrong? Do share your opinion in comments below.

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