"The apple didn't roll too far from the base of tree": When Chase Elliott was praised by NASCAR Insider for handling Kevin Harvick feud like his dad

Three years ago, Chase Elliott had an incident with Kevin Harvick at the Charlotte Motor Speedway. NASCAR analyst Larry McReynolds later praised Elliott for how he dealt with his feud and compared him to his father, Bill Elliott.

The rivalry between the two drivers started at Bristol Motor Speedway in September 2021, where they had several tense moments both on and off the track. During the Bank of America Roval 400 in October, Harvick wrecked Elliott’s No. 9 Chevy, which was damaged and the team had to make repairs.

McReynolds pointed out that Chase’s calm response to the conflict reminded him of how his father handled similar situations.

"Yeah, and I thought about that after the race on Sunday, and I've thought about it ever since. What came to me is, the apple did not roll too far from the base of the tree. It reminds me so much of his dad, Bill Elliott. I saw Bill Elliott some at it. Dale Earnhardt, sometimes his face was as red as that Coors Red race car. But Bill did a really nice job of walking away from it and moving on, and I've seen that with Chase," McReynolds said. [0:09 onwards]

McReynolds was referencing Harvick's remarks in a post-race interview. Harvick was involved in a crash and had to end the race early but later took a jab at Eliott and said (via NASCAR):

"Sometimes life teaches you good lessons."

Elliott, who managed to finish 12th and move on to the next playoff round, wished Harvick and his team a "merry offseason a happy Christmas."

Chase Elliott's first bitter exchange with Kevin Harvick

Chase Elliott (9) and driver Kevin Harvick (4) compete during the race at Bristol Motor Speedway. - Source: Imagn

Chase Elliott's feud with Kevin Harvick started at the Bristol Night Race, where they had multiple heated conversations, on September 19, 2021.

in the closing laps of the race, Harvick had contact with Eliott's car which caused Elliott’s tire to blow. After pitting and losing three laps, Elliott came back and blocked Harvick, which helped his teammate, Kyle Larson, win the race.

After the race Harvick parked behind Elliott's car and argued.

Harvick later spoke to the media and said (as per The Athletic):

"Just chicken shit. I mean, what else do you say? Throw a temper tantrum like you’re 2 years old because you got passed for the lead and got a flat tire. We barely even rubbed. It’s all Chase’s way or it’s no way, and if he doesn’t get his way, then he throws a fit."

Chase Elliott, who finished 25th, explained that Harvick had been racing him aggressively for weeks. They also had run-ins before at Darlington.