Chase Elliott is mainly known for two things: Being the son of NASCAR legend Bill Elliott, and being immensely humble and non-confrontational — often to a fault.
A crack finally showed in Elliott’s cool facade on Saturday, however.
After being spun out by Michael McDowell on Lap 97 of the Coke Zero 400 in a wreck that collected Trevor Bayne, Elliott didn’t mince words on the radio when talking about the driver of the No. 95 Chevrolet.
“That is the biggest dumbass I’ve ever seen in my life,” Elliott said, per the North State Journal. “That son of (expletive) couldn’t drive a wooden screw through (expletive).”
Motorsport.com’s Lee Spencer provided a more family-friendly version of the quote, but it was clear Elliott wasn’t happy with McDowell, who pinballed his way through the field en route to a fourth-place finish at Daytona International Speedway.
It was surprising to hear such an outburst from Elliott, whose aw-shucks personality has gained him lots of fans but also raised whispers about whether he’s aggressive enough on the track. Maybe getting a little angry is exactly what the pilot of the No. 24 Chevy needs to propel him to his first career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win.
Thumbnail photo via Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports Images