Chase Elliott clears the air surrounding his rumored beef with Kyle Larson

Chase Elliott brushed off a supposed rift with teammate Kyle Larson after their multiple run-ins at Iowa Speedway. The Hendrick Motorsports driver maintained that contact between them was not 'intentional' and was purely a racing incident.

Last weekend, Larson's run was derailed by a series of setbacks, one of which came during a final stage restart when he and Elliott went for the same opening ahead. Elliott had a leg up during the move and doored Larson up the track.

Larson managed to hold on but found the walls in a later skirmish with Christopher Bell, prompting an expletive-laden radio outburst from the No.5 driver. Many took his comments as a shot at his HMS teammate, but Elliott seems to think otherwise.

“I didn’t know there was any issue, honestly. I just feel like we were going for the same gap at the same time. I didn’t think any of that was intentional, either way. So yeah, I haven’t felt the need [to talk]. If we need to talk, we will, I’m sure. But we haven’t had any issues,” Chase Elliott said via NASCAR.

Kyle Larson echoed the sentiment in an interview at Watkins Glen on Saturday, August 9.

"Everybody’s making a big deal about Chase. I really wasn’t that mad at Chase, and too after seeing the replays and stuff, I was less frustrated. I move on from things quickly."

Larson settled for a 28th at Iowa, while Elliott finished a respectable 14th. The two now compete at Watkins Glen this weekend, a track where Elliott is yet to reach victory lane in the Next Gen Era.

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"It's been totally different": Chase Elliott reflects on road course racing under Next Gen Era

HMS drivers have won four of the last five races at Watkins Glen, but Chase Elliott has struggled to repeat his 2019 win in the Next Gen Era. Although he captured pole back in 2022, the 29-year-old couldn't convert it into a win.

"Since the new car came in, it’s been totally different, truthfully. The success in this new car it’s not even a different chapter. It’s like a different book. So, I wouldn’t even compare that if it were me. I think it’s just happenstance that we have fired off well,” he said in a recent interview(via Speedwaydigest.com)

Chase Elliott has qualified 20th for Sunday's (August 10) Go Bowling at The Glen. His HMS teammate and season leader, William Byron, starts 10 spots ahead. The two are currently battling for the regular season championship, with 18 points separating them.

Byron commented on the same and predicted a 'fun stretch' to the regular season finale at Daytona International Speedway. Larson, meanwhile, sits third with a 45-point deficit.

Fans can tune in for Sunday's 90-lap event on USA and HBO Max. The race is scheduled for 2 PM ET.