Hendrick Motorsports issues statement after Chase Elliott's suspension

Hendrick Motorsports has released a statement after NASCAR suspended Chase Elliott for wrecking Denny Hamlin in the Coca-Cola 600 this past weekend.

In the statement, Hendrick Motorsports says that it will not appeal NASCAR’s decision to suspend Elliott. Instead, it is accepting the suspension of its driver.

“We understand NASCAR’s need to maintain consistency in its officiating,” the statement reads. “The penalty will not be appealed, and we will submit a formal request for a playoff waiver.”

The statement from Hendrick Motorsports goes on to say that Corey LaJoie will replace Elliott this coming weekend. LaJoie is the son of two-time NASCAR Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie.

“Corey LaJoie, 31, will drive the No. 9 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 this weekend at World Wide Technology Raceway. We are grateful to Corey for stepping in and to the team at Spire Motorsports for making him available.”

This will be the seventh race that Elliott has missed this season. He missed six races earlier in the year while recovering from a leg injury.

Though he sits 29th in the points standings, Elliott will need to request a waiver to remain eligible for the playoffs.

The crash occurred on the front stretch after Elliott made contact with the wall coming out of Turn 4 with Hamlin beside him. Elliott appeared to take exception with being squeezed against the wall by Hamlin, and responded by deliberately hooking him. At least, that was Hamlin’s side of the story after being checked out of the infield care center.

“I got right rear hooked in the middle of a straightaway,” Hamlin said. “Yeah, it’s a tantrum and he shouldn’t be racing next week. Right rear hooks are absolutely unacceptable. I don’t care, it’s the same thing Bubba Wallace did with Kyle Larson. The exact same. He shouldn’t be racing.”

NASCAR officials came to the same conclusion Tuesday that Hamlin did — that Elliott intentionally wrecked him to cause the Lap 186 accident despite the 2020 Cup Series champion denying so while speaking with Fox Sports after the accident.

“The 11 ran us up in the fence there, and once you turn the right sides off these things it’s kind of over,” Elliott said. “I hate it, I thought our NAPA Chevy was getting better… No [there was no retaliation], like I said, once you hit the wall in these things you can’t drive them anymore. So, unfortunately not, no just an unfortunate circumstance.”