NASCAR insider insists Chase Elliott’s Chicago incident is different from Bubba Wallace shoving Alex Bowman

NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck weighed in on a fan's query about why there isn't much chatter regarding Chase Elliott's car coming into contact with Daniel Suarez's. The fan noted that journalists are criticizing Bubba Wallace for his post-race actions but staying quiet about what the HMS driver did.

At the recent Grant Park 165 in Chicago, Alex Bowman made a move to clear his windshield during the 25th lap of the 58-lap race but botched it. This misstep caused him to veer off course, cause Wallace to spin out, and crash into the wall.

Despite the incident, Wallace fought his way back into the race, finishing in 13th place. He didn’t let the opportunity to settle scores pass him by, though - right after Bowman won in the Chicago Street Race, Wallace gave Bowman’s #48 a nudge during the cool-down lap. Bowman later admitted his mistake and apologized to Wallace for the earlier mishap.

As for Chase Elliott, he was right in the mix of the top 15 during the final lap, battling it out with Trackhouse Racing's Daniel Suarez for 13th place. While the broadcast zeroed in on the thrilling fight for the lead between Alex Bowman and Tyler Reddick, a crucial incident unfolded at Turn 11.

Elliott maneuvered past Suarez, but the move set off a domino effect - Suarez bumped into Brad Keselowski, sending him hurtling into the tire barrier.

Right after their tangle, Suarez tapped the rear of Chase Elliott’s car at the following turn, causing Elliott to spin out and drop from 13th place. Later, during the cool-down lap, Elliott approached Suarez's car and brushed against his left door as a final statement.

Gluck clarified in his post that Chase Elliott actually brake-checked Daniel Suarez, which is different from what Bubba Wallace did to Alex Bowman. He explained:

"I’m getting tagged in this so guess I’ll wade in. This looks like Elliott chased him down, rubbed doors and brake-checked him. Yes? OK, well that’s different than putting someone into the wall, no? A lot of you are trying to make these the same incident and they’re not IMO."

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Chase Elliott confronted Daniel Suarez after the race got over

Chase Elliott's top-20 streak came to an abrupt end following his late-race scuffle with Daniel Suarez. After the race, the #9 HMS driver caught up with Suarez on pit road to hash things out.

Despite Elliott's frustration with Suarez's aggressive driving, their discussion seemed to smoothen matters, culminating in a reconciliatory gesture from Suarez.

Up until the incident, Chase Elliott had been on a historic tear, consistently finishing in the top 20 for the last 19 races - a record that hadn't been touched in over three decades before him. The impressive streak had kept him at the forefront of the driver standings, even securing the top spot at one point. His personal record extended to 22 consecutive top-20 finishes.