Pocono did what it does best: it threw a wrench into a story. The Xfinity Series rolled into Pocono Raceway like a thunderstorm on four wheels, and Chase Elliott brought the lightning. At the Tricky Triangle, the Georgia native lit up the track by snatching the pole and commanding the field for most of the day. For 38 out of 100 laps, it looked like Elliott was about to turn this part-time gig into a full-blown statement win.

A messy late race restart dropped Elliott from the lead back, and despite all the grit, he had to settle for a fourth-place finish. Connor Zilisch, backed by Dale Jr. on top of the #88 pit box, called the shots and bagged the race win. Just as the #17 team was contemplating what they could’ve done differently, they got hit by an L1 NASCAR penalty, and it looks as if they did more than just bend the rules to win last Saturday’s race.

Chase Elliott’s Xfinity Ride Caught in NASCAR Crackdown

After the checkered flag flew at Pocono, NASCAR didn’t waste time turning its attention to the inspection station. The No. 17 Chevy was found in violation Main Frame Rail Conical Receivers. NASCAR insider Jeff Clark did not waste time to share this via X: “The Hendrick Motorsports Xfinity Series car driven by Chase Elliott at Pocono got a big penalty: $40k fine, three-race suspension for crew chief Adam Wall, loss of 40 owner points (no driver points to take away) and 10 owner playoff points. NASCAR says it found a problem with the main frame rail conical receivers.”

Since Chase Elliott isn’t competing for driver points, only the team’s stats took the blow. But in a sport where every number counts, it was a big hit to the Hendrick camp. According to NASCAR, the penalty stems from violations of sections 14.3.3.2.1.1 K & L in the rulebook, guidelines that govern how those frame rail receivers are supposed to be built and installed. To put it simply, Hendrick modified them, and NASCAR didn’t like that.

NASCAR discovered unauthorized work done on the main frame rail conical receivers, a structural component deep in the chassis. The violation? And after triggering an L1 penalty. The price tag came quickly and steep: a $40,000 fine, a three-race suspension for crew chief Adam Wall, and a deduction of 40 points +10 playoff points.

This wasn’t some throwaway entry, either. Hendrick Motorsports has fielded the No. 17 car in 10 of the 16 Xfinity races this season, rotating stars like Kyle Larson, William Byron, Alex Bowman, and even Corey Day behind the wheel. The car has scored two wins: Larson at Bristol and Byron at Charlotte. And looked like they were in the hunt for another victory lane finish with Elliott at Pocono. Now it’s just tainted with controversy.

Even Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is now channeling his inner crew chief these days, guiding Connor Zilisch to his first oval win at Pocono, jumped into the conversation. Replying to Bob Pockrass’s X update on the penalty, Junior quipped, “Texting Ives now…” Greg Ives is the veteran crew chief currently overseeing Hendrick’s No. 17 Xfinity program and was once Junior’s strategist. Greg’s deep roots at Hendrick (having engineered Jimmie Johnson’s five-peat and crew chiefed Elliott to the 2014 Xfinity title) make Jr.’s offhand message speak volumes.

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Kyle Petty rips Elliott’s performance slide

While the Hendrick garage deals with penalties and fines, Elliott is facing a different kind of pressure, the kind that doesn’t show up on the stat sheet but weighs heavily in the court of public opinion. Once seen as the heir to NASCAR thrown, he now finds himself in the crosshairs of racing legend Kyle Petty, who isn’t impressed with the numbers or the narrative.

In a fiery segment of NASCAR’s official YouTube channel, Petty put Elliott’s recent performance into blunt perspective. He said, “Since 2023, Chase Elliott has won only one race. One race, people. I know you’ve got all the t-shirts, I know you’ve got all the hats, I know he’s Mr. Most Popular. But how can our most popular driver not win races and not even be the best driver in the team he drives for?”

That stings. Elliot may be the fan favorite, but while he’s been scraping for the top 10s, his teammates have been running the show. Kyle Larson has collected a jaw-dropping 16 wins in the Next Gen era, and William Byron has bagged 12, making Elliott the third wheel at his own team’s Victory Lane party. Byron and Larson have also locked out first and second, respectively, in the driver’s standings, as Chase finds himself dropped down to 5th position. And that place isn’t secured witha  new winner popping up every weekend.

Petty didn’t mention words. He noted that while Larson continues to crush it and Byron flexes dominance at places like Darlington and Nashville, Elliott has lacked both consistency and grit to get back to winning ways. And in a sport where legacy is built lap by lap, that absence is becoming more obvious every weekend. For Elliott, the message is clear: the time to step up isn’t next week. It’s now.