'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
NASCAR fans weren't pleased after six-time NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver award winner Chase Elliott was handed a penalty during the recent Cup Series race at COTA.
Hendrick Motorsports driver and former Cup champion Chase Elliott is yet to find form in the 2024 season. The 28-year-old, who had a disastrous winless campaign in 2023, has been aiming to finally break the rut and return to his former heights.
A ninth-place finish in the qualifying session of the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix race at Circuit of the Americas meant the driver had a promising start in his bag.
However, Elliott's race took a turn for the worse during the race. Approximately 30 laps from the finish line, he incurred a pass-through penalty for allegedly violating track limits by cutting a corner. The penalty stemmed from an incident where Elliott, battling the challenges of the course, lost control and inadvertently strayed off the designated racing line.
Team manager Alan Gustafson sought to contest the penalty, citing the unintentional nature of Elliott's deviation. However, NASCAR officials upheld the ruling, relegating Elliott to a position outside the top 15 after serving the penalty, ultimately culminating in a 16th-place finish for the driver.
Fans took to social media to express their displeasure with Elliott's penalty. One user wrote on X (formerly Twitter):
"Justice for Chase"
A second fan commented:
"F***ing bulls*** they need to just let them f***ing racing"
Another user wrote:
"He got screwed"
Here are some more fan reactions to Chase Elliott's penalty at COTA:
Chase Elliott receives sponsorship boost following COTA race
While the race in Texas might not have gone his way, Elliott penned a sponsorship extension with UniFirst. The American uniform company will serve as the primary sponsor of the Hendrick Motorsports No. 9 Chevrolet for five races in the 2024 season.
The partnership will make its first appearance at the upcoming Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway on March 31st. This is Unifirst's eighth consecutive season in partnership with Hendrick Motorsports, and the fifth season as Chase Elliott's primary sponsor.
Reflecting on the extension, Chase Elliott stated in an official press release:
"Richmond is a track where you have to be on it every single lap. We were able to get a pretty decent finish last fall, so I am excited to see what we can achieve there this weekend. Hopefully, we can end the day in victory lane with the UniFirst team."
