Chase Elliott sends a straightforward message after ‘frustrating’ ordeal with Ross Chastain at COTA: “It’s the first lap of the dang race”

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott wrapped up the Circuit of the Americas race in the top five after a major "frustrating" setback in the early stage. Elliott was featured in a post-race interview with FOX reporter Regan Smith and expressed his vexation with Ross Chastain.

Elliott has been competing in the Cup Series since 2015 with Hendrick Motorsports and drove his #9 Chevy Camaro ZL1 at the Circuit of the Americas. He won his first race on the circuit in May 2021 and secured two top-five finishes. Even at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, the HMS driver secured a spot in the second row after the qualifying session.

The 29-year-old professional race car driver had a rough start in the 95-lap race. Fellow Cup Series driver Ross Chastain spun Chase Elliott out on the very first lap of the race. While passing turn one, the Trackhouse Racing driver made contact with Elliott's car, turning him around and sending him to the back of the pack.

Reflecting upon the same, Smith asked Chase Elliott about the incident, and Elliott replied:

"I hadn't seen it, you know. So I don't want to, I don't want to comment yet, but just, you know, first lap of the dang race, right? But just frustrating to just fall behind there. Early, we had damage toe knocked out in the back, and Alan and Matt, everybody did a great job fixing it and getting us in a good position, and fell behind there on that restart and was really just playing catch-up." [00:13 onwards]

"So I thought we got our Napa Chevy back in a reasonable place. I mean, who knows? I would like to say I would love to be in the mix, right? Easy thing to say when you have a bad day," he added.

Chase Elliott recovered from the fatal blow on lap one and ended the race in fourth place. Meanwhile, Ross Chastain finished 12th, and Joe Gibbs Racing driver Christopher Bell won his second consecutive win in the 2025 season.

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"When we get a chance to send him, we’re sending that #1 car": Chase Elliott's crew chief on the incident with Ross Chastain

The former NASCAR Cup Series champion's third-place start came after a troublesome qualifying session. Elliott aborted his first try, meaning he would have to deliver an exceptional run on his second try. The HMS driver did that and was third fastest on the track.

But Elliott's efforts were in vain after Ross Chastain spun him around, facing the wrong direction in the first lap. During that moment Elliott had a calm conversation with his crew chief Alan Gustafson and stated:

“No, that’s totally fine. I’ll do what I need to do. But I just need to make sure I wasn’t in the wrong before I do it." (via a clip shared by NASCAR on X.)

However, Gustafson had other plans and said:

"You didn’t do anything wrong; it’s just stupidity but you know, we’re gonna have to pay that sh*t back because I’m over people like that constantly doing dumb sh*t. When we get a chance to send him, we’re sending that #1 car."

Chase Elliott secured a P5 finish in Stage One, and Chastain was slammed with a pass-through penalty for sending a crew member over the wall too soon.