Following Chase Elliott’s penalty and subsequent outburst at the Brickyard 400, NASCAR insiders have shared varied reactions, mostly critical of Elliott’s response to the penalty.
Jeff Gluck and Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic expressed surprise at Elliott’s strong reaction, considering they felt the blend line violation was clear-cut and that most drivers understood the rule well. Bianchi pointed out that only two drivers were penalized for the blend line violation throughout the race, suggesting that the rule was not as confusing as Elliott’s reaction implied. He described Elliott’s violation as “pretty egregious” and noted that 38 out of 39 drivers managed to adhere to the rule without incident.
Gluck echoed this sentiment, describing Elliott’s violation as blatant and emphasizing that he came back up onto the racing surface in the middle of the corner, which is a clear breach of NASCAR rules.
Elliott, after being penalized and serving a pass-through penalty, expressed frustration over the radio, stating, “I did exactly what the fu*king sheet said to do.” His anger stemmed from what he perceived as following the instructions given to drivers, despite NASCAR’s interpretation resulting in a penalty.
Ultimately, while Elliott managed a 10th place finish at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, he lost his lead in the regular season points standings to Kyle Larson, further underscoring the impact of the penalty on his season standings.
In summary, while Elliott’s outburst reflected his frustration at what he saw as following the rules, NASCAR insiders and observers largely viewed his penalty as justified and his reaction as excessive given the clarity of the violation.
