NASCAR: Jeff Gordon and Ryan Newman exchange words after Dover race

After Ryan Newman hindered Chase Elliott from winning his first career NASCAR Cup Series race at Dover, Jeff Gordon and Newman exchanged words.

Jeff Gordon, who used to drive the #24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet currently driven by Chase Elliott and was in Elliott’s pit box on Sunday, was not happy with Ryan Newman after the Apache Warrior 400 NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Dover.

Newman, who was running in 13th place at the tail end of the lead lap, did not let Elliott, who was leading the race late, pass him. This ultimately allowed Kyle Busch to pass Elliott and take the win, preventing Elliott from winning his first NASCAR Cup Series race in his 70th attempt.

Busch ended up passing Elliott with just over one lap to go, and he ended up making quick work of Newman to put him a lap down as he crossed the finish line and took the checkered flag for the fourth time in the last nine races.

Here is a video of that thrilling finish.

Gordon appeared to say something to Newman after Newman got out of his #31 Richard Childress Chevrolet after being eliminated from playoff contention with a 13th place finish in the race, and Newman responded almost immediately.

Here is how their conversation went down.

"Ryan Newman: What’s that?Jeff Gordon: Thanks for the help.Newman: For what?Gordon: What was happening with the leaders, man.Newman: You don’t think I was racing for my own position?Gordon: I didn’t say you weren’t.Newman: Just watch what you say, man.Gordon: I said, ‘Thanks for the help’.Newman: You said it as a smart-[expletive].Gordon: No, I didn’t. You took it that way."

The 4-time champion and the 2014 Cup Series runner-up appear to have been on good terms a little bit later, however, as the situation appeared to blow over.

Newman was only 2 points behind Ricky Stenhouse Jr. for the 12th and final spot in the Round of 12. He was running in 13th place in the race, while Stenhouse Jr. was running in 19th. While no one was near Newman for him to pass to make up those points, there would have been had a caution flag come out; that is, had Newman stayed on the lead lap, which was his reasoning for not letting Elliott pass him and put him one lap down.

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While Busch did actually end up lapping Newman without Newman giving him much resistance, that was after the white flag had flown, signaling one lap to go. At that point, a caution flag would have ended the race as opposed to given Newman a chance to make up those 2 points that he ultimately failed to make up. Stenhouse Jr. ended up clinching a sport in the Round of 12 for the first time in his Cup Series career.

The only thing that this incident really ended up changing is the fact that Chase Elliott will not have the 5 extra playoff points he would have had had he won the race, while Kyle Busch will have those 5 extra playoff points. And, of course, Elliott is now still searching for his first career Cup Series victory.

Next: NASCAR Driver Power Rankings

Both Elliott and Busch will advance to the Round of 12, while Ryan Newman will not. Elliott will start the round in 10th place in the standings as opposed to 8th, where he would have started had he won at Dover, while Busch will start in 2nd and would have do so even had he not won at Dover.