"I'm gonna lose so much sleep tonight" - When Chase Elliott responded to Denny Hamlin's comment on his fan base

Chase Elliott has maintained the largest fan base in NASCAR in recent memory. The driver of the #9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet has won the sport's Most Popular Driver award every year from 2018-2023.

Three years ago, Denny Hamlin took a jab at the 2020 Cup Series champion's fan base. The driver of the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota's comments came after the 2021 Xfinity 500 at the Martinsville Speedway, which was the next-to-last race of the season.

In the race, Hamlin spun out and crashed with under 10 laps to go while racing Alex Bowman, Elliott's HMS teammate, for the lead. Bowman proceeded to win the 500-lap event at the 0.5-mile short track. After the race, a frustrated Hamlin cut off Bowman at the start/finish line on the cool down lap. The Virginia native proceeded to push his car up against Bowman's, rev his engine, and flip him off before driving away. In his post-race interview, Hamlin called Bowman an "absolute hack."

The 54-time Cup Series winner was heavily booed during his post-race interview. In the post-race press conference, Hamlin was asked if the fan reaction surprised him. He responded by saying:

"It's just Chase Elliott fans, man. They don't think straightly." (0:10 onwards)

Later, it was Elliott's turn in the press room. The Georgia native was asked how he felt about Hamlin taking a shot at his fan base. He said:

"I'm going to lose so much sleep tonight. I might not sleep at all. That's how concerned I am. My fans don't care either, by the way." (0:50 onwards).

Both drivers qualified for the Championship 4 race that year. However, neither of them could outrun Kyle Larson in the title race at Phoenix as he went on to win his first career championship. Second was Martin Truex Jr., followed by Hamlin in third and Elliott in fifth. Both won two races in 2021 as Elliott won the inaugural Cup Series races at Circuit of the Americas and Road America, while Hamlin earned playoff victories at Darlington and Las Vegas.

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Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin failed to make it to the Championship 4 this season

Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin weren't able to replicate their 2021 finishes as neither made the cut for this year's Championship 4 race. Both drivers were eliminated in the Round of 8 this season.

Elliott snapped a 42-race winless streak this season by winning at the Texas Motor Speedway in April. However, he was unable to find victory lane again this year and finished seventh in the final standings while also recording 11 top-five finishes.

Hamlin, meanwhile, registered three victories this season at Bristol, Richmond, and Dover. He finished eighth in the final standings and tallied 12 top-fives this season.