“I hate that”: Chase Elliott makes feelings clear after Justin Allgaier’s ‘mistake’ in Pocono

Chase Elliott shared his frustration about Justin Allgaier's 'mistake' at Pocono Raceway after the two made contact and dropped off the front row. The Hendrick Motorsports driver rued the lost opportunity as he wanted to 'cash in' on a 'pretty fast' No.17 Chevy.

During Saturday's (June 21) Xfinity Series race, Elliott made his second and final appearance in the series and began on pole. He dominated the outing early on and led the first 20 laps, marking his longest stint at the front of an Xfinity race since Richmond in September 2015.

He went on to lead a race-best 38 laps and was poised to secure the win with 13 laps remaining when JR Motorsports' Justin Allgaier went loose on turn 1 and forced into the side of Elliott's car. They both had to take evasive action and eventually dropped off the front row, while Jesse Love and Connor Zilisch took over the battle for the lead.

After the race ended, Elliott and Allgaier were seen having a conversation about their on-track incident. When asked about the same during a press interview, Elliott said,

"I have a lot of respect for Justin. We've always raced each other with a lot of respect and have had equally as much away from the racetrack too. I don't have any ill will against him. I hate that he made a mistake with me there. Considering it, you know, it has been my last one for the year.The ol' Hendrickcars No.17 is pretty fast right now, so I was wanting to cash in on that." (0:49 onwards)

Chase Elliott ultimately finished within the top 5, in fourth place. He previously competed in the Xfinity race at Darlington and similarly endured early damage but managed to finish on the front row in second.

Meanwhile, Allgaier's teammate, Connor Zilisch, secured his second win of the season at Pocono.

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Chase Elliott shares his Xfinity takeaway for the Cup Series race at Pocono

Chase Elliott made no bones about getting 'some good reps' at the front during Saturday's Explore the Pocono Mountains 250. The former Cup Series champion made a last-minute schedule change to compete in the Xfinity Series in an effort to better prepare for Sunday's Cup race.

Speaking to the media, Elliott shared his experience out front.

"It was a lot of fun, just kind of leading the charge there. Being able to dice it up through the field and lead some laps and pass, get some good reps restarting races and being on the front row," he said (via Daily Express US).

When asked about his takeaways for the Cup Series, he added,

"I mean I kind of touched on it a second ago, just the reps in those positions."

Chase Elliott has qualified 18th for the Great American Getaway 400 at Pocono. He's currently ranked fourth in the driver's standings and is yet to nab his maiden win of the season and secure a playoff berth.

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Edited by Anisha Chatterjee