Chase Elliott: 'Don't go there' to ask about possible payback for Denny Hamlin in Texas

Chase Elliott directed reporters to “don’t go there” when it came to questions about whether the 21-year-old Hendrick Motorsports driver would retaliate against Denny Hamlin after Sunday’s incident in Martinsville.

“No, I’m not going answer y’alls questions on whether I’m going to get him back,” Elliott said at news conference at Texas Motor Speedway on Friday. “You’re not going to hear it from me.”

Elliott, however, did talk about his frustrations about Sunday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series race where he was spun out by Hamlin with three laps to go in a race originally slated to go 500 laps a crash that denied Elliott his first career victory and potentially a slot in the the Nov. 19 finals at Homestead-Miami Speedway. 

The two drivers had a heated confrontation after the race about the wreck and Hamlin's tactics.

“I don’t know if my thoughts are a whole lot different today than they were then,” Elliott said. “I’m still pretty frustrated about it. As the week has gone along, it’s giving me time to think about how close we were to going to Homestead. That’ll drive you up the wall more, the more you think about it.”

Elliott said any animosity he carries with him into Sunday's AAA Texas 500 won't be a distraction. 

"You can’t let the situation of what went on there consume you because if you do you’ll lose sight of what really matters," Elliott said. "What really matters is us winning one of these final two races and go racing for a championship."

Had he won in Martinsville, Elliott would have been guaranteed a slot among the four drivers who will compete for the championship at Homestead. (Elliott would also be atop the standings.) But after this 27th-place finish, Elliott enters the penultimate race before the four championship-eligible driver field is set in eighth place. 

Elliott's crew chief, Alan Gustafson, said after last week's race that Hamlin shouldn't be surprised or upset if there is some sort of retribution awaiting him in Texas.

“I’m cool with it,” Gustafson said. “When we have his back tires jacked up going into probably (turn) three at Texas, that’ll be a bigger corner, then just be good with that, too.”