Team Hendrick drivers Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott have moved past their recent conflict after a tense race at Iowa Speedway last week, ending what was seen as a brewing feud. The tense moments, which included Elliott making contact with Larson’s car three times during the race, had escalated emotions but appear to be resolved as the drivers prepare for the upcoming Watkins Glen event.

Larson, typically known for his calm demeanor, expressed visible frustration over the radio after the repeated incidents, demonstrating the strain of the situation. Despite his outburst, Larson has since indicated that he no longer harbors hard feelings toward Elliott and has moved on from the incident.

Larson Reflects on the Race and Fallout

After finishing 28th in Iowa, significantly behind Elliott’s 14th-place result, Larson addressed questions about whether their issues remain unresolved. He downplayed any ongoing tension, stating that much of the perceived conflict was exaggerated by outside observers.

“Everybody’s making a big deal about Chase. I really wasn’t that mad at Chase,”

Larson said during a media session at Watkins Glen, according to Frontstretch.com. He explained that reviewing race footage helped him see the situation differently, reducing his anger and frustration toward Elliott. Larson claims he quickly moved past the events without feeling the need for further discussion.

“It’s just racing. After watching the replays and stuff, it wasn’t what I thought it was from the seat. And two, I was less frustrated with him than I was [with] others. Everything compiled and I was trying to keep my cool.”

Responses from Industry Figures Highlight Different Perspectives

Immediately after the Iowa race, Denny Hamlin sharply criticized both Larson and Elliott, urging NASCAR officials to intervene due to what he deemed reckless driving that endangered fellow competitors. Hamlin emphasized that their behavior showed a disregard for safety by forcing drivers into hazardous, four-wide racing situations.

“They laid back so much, they must have been running 10 miles an hour faster, probably more than that. Then the cars in front of them, when they all took off and then they both tried to shoot the gap at the same time in the middle. It’s like they both deserved to wreck.”

—Denny Hamlin

Contrasting with Hamlin’s view, former Team Hendrick crew chief and TV analyst Steve Letarte suggested on the Inside the Race podcast that any tension between Larson and Elliott was temporary and not unusual given the competitive nature between teammates.

“Well, this is why Jeff Gordon is the perfect co-chairman of the organization, because he has seen it nearly get torn apart when him and Jimmie Johnson were disagreeing and when they run into each other in Texas, somebody’s upset, there’s chirping on the radio,”

Letarte commented, putting the Larson-Elliott incident into a larger context of historic team rivalries.

Will Hendrick Need to Step In Again as Tensions Ease?

With the Watkins Glen race looming, expectations are high for tight competition, likely including aggressive racing and potential contact. However, the unresolved bitterness seen at Iowa appears to have dissipated, reducing the chance that tensions will spill over again.

Team owner Rick Hendrick, who once famously calmed a similar rivalry between Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson nearly two decades ago through his “milk and cookies” talk, may not need to intervene this time. That approach helped restore harmony and turned former adversaries into close friends—offering a hopeful parallel for Larson and Elliott’s current situation.