Elliott and Hamlin were battling for position just 15 laps shy of halfway when Hamlin pushed up the track, causing Elliott to hit the outside wall.
Elliott then appeared to turn down the track into the right-rear fender of Hamlin’s car, sending him head-on into the outside wall in a violent crash that eliminated both drivers from the race.
Although Elliott said it wasn’t intentional, but Hamlin posted SMT data on social media that seemed to suggest otherwise. Hamlin called it a “tantrum” and said that Elliott “shouldn’t be racing next week.”
The suspension is identical to the action taken by NASCAR officials last fall after a similar incident unfolded at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Bubba Wallace hit the wall after being pushed up Kyle Larson, and reacted by right-rearing the Hendrick driver and turning both cars into the outside wall.
Elliott has already missed six races this season after suffering a fractured tibia in his left leg, which happened while snowboarding in early March. He sits 29th in the championship standings 81 points below the cut-off line for the playoffs.
The 27-year-old won the NASCAR Cup Series title in 2020, and has been named the sport’s Most Popular Driver for five consecutive years.