Chase Elliott crashed due to a contact between him, John Hunter Nemechek, and Denny Hamlin during Sunday’s Cup race at Bristol. The contact caught the Dawsonville native in a chain reaction, pushing him hard into the outside wall on Lap 311.Elliott's Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Alex Bowman, was shocked to see how hard Elliott's car rammed against the wall. Per reports, the front of Elliott's car received heavy damage from the impact.Alex Bowman, who drives the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy Camaro, just hoped that his teammate was unharmed. As quoted by reporter John Newby on X (formerly Twitter), Bowman radioed to his team,“That was awful. Hopefully, he's all right.”Named the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, the 500-lap event marked the final race of the Round of 16 of the 2025 playoffs. Josh Berry of Wood Brothers Racing fell out of contention due to failed brake rotors, which means that three other drivers will join him to set the field for the Round of 12 drivers.Chase Elliott, a former Cup Series champion, is in the hunt for his second NASCAR Cup Series championship. While his other teammate, Kyle Larson, looks for a third straight sweep at Bristol Motor Speedway.Chase Elliott reacts to his contact with Legacy Motor Club’s John Hunter Nemechek at BristolChase Elliott was running the top lane moments before the crash took place between Turns 3 and 4 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He thought he would run better at the bottom, but unfortunately, there wasn’t enough space for the former Cup Series champ.Speaking with NBC Sports later on, Chase Elliott said he wasn’t sure if it was Denny Hamlin who had pushed John Hunter Nemechek of Legacy Motor Club into the contact or if he had stacked up the lane too much himself.“It was a game of just how quick can you get to the bottom after a few laps to preserve your tires. I thought I was doing the smart thing,” Chase Elliott recalled. “The Penske guys got position on me, so I was just trying to get back down in line.”“I got a huge shot from behind and I don’t know if he [Hunter Nemechek] had maybe gotten hit or I just stacked the lane up that much or what. Nonetheless, it happened, and it’s done. Looks like we’re in a bit of a pickle now,” he added.Next up is the Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Marking the first race of the Round of 12, the 301-lap event is scheduled for Sunday, September 21. Fans can watch the race live on USA, with radio coverage on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.