Friends turned foes: Notable incidents between former NASCAR teammates

Daniel Suárez and Ross Chastain spent several years as NASCAR Cup Series teammates at Trackhouse Racing, but found themselves at odds Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after an on-track incident spilled over onto pit road after the now-competitors -- Suárez races for Spire Motorsports in 2026 -- came face-to-face and exchanged barbs. 

It's far from the first instance of past teammates seeing their frustrations play out after a split, and likely won't be the last.

Read on to see some more recent examples of former teammates becoming frenemies.

Track: Phoenix Raceway

Date: April 18, 2009

Drivers: Dale Earnhardt Jr. vs. Casey Mears

Teammate history: Earnhardt Jr. and Mears were teammates at Hendrick Motorsports in 2008.

Context: The feud ignited late in the race when contact between the two cars sent Earnhardt into the wall with roughly 11 laps remaining, ruining what had been a potential top-10 finish. Frustrated, Earnhardt retaliated after the checkered flag by intentionally spinning Mears on the cool-down lap. Mears then chased Earnhardt down pit road and bumped the rear of his car in response. NASCAR ultimately placed both drivers on six-race probation but issued no fines or points penalties.

Track: Auto Club Speedway

Date: March 24, 2013

Drivers: Tony Stewart vs. Joey Logano

Teammate history: While never Cup Series teammates, Logano and Stewart -- his idol -- both drove for Joe Gibbs Racing in 2008, and Logano inherited Stewart's No. 20 full-time a season later.

Context: Following a dramatic race that ended with Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin crashing on the final lap, tension carried over stemming from a late restart earlier in the race when Logano blocked Stewart while battling for position. Stewart, frustrated that the move cost him a shot at the win, confronted Logano on pit road after the race. The exchange escalated quickly into a heated altercation between the two drivers and their crews, with Stewart ripping Logano publicly afterward and accusing him of overly aggressive driving in one of the most memorable post-race interviews of all time.

Track: Bristol Motor Speedway

Date: March 17, 2013

Drivers: Joey Logano vs. Denny Hamlin

Teammate history: Logano and Hamlin were teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing on the Cup side from 2009–2012.

Context: Late in the race, Hamlin made contact with Logano while battling near the front of the field, spinning the former teammate and triggering simmering tension that had built throughout Logano's final year at JGR. After the race, Logano stormed to Hamlin’s car on pit road, leaned into the window and exchanged heated words before crew members separated the two teams. The confrontation spilled onto social media afterward, extending a feud that would continue into the following week ... and years.

Track: Texas Motor Speedway

Date: November 2, 2014

Drivers: Brad Keselowski vs. Jeff Gordon

Teammate history: Gordon and Keselowski were Hendrick Motorsports teammates for seven races in 2009.

Context: Racing for a spot in the Championship 4, Keselowski attempted to squeeze through a closing gap between Gordon and Jimmie Johnson late in the race. The move cut Gordon’s left-rear tire and sent him spinning while Johnson went on to win. After the race, Gordon confronted Keselowski in the post-race impound area. Kevin Harvick shoved Keselowski toward Gordon, igniting a massive brawl that involved multiple teams and crew members on pit road. Several crew members were later fined and suspended by NASCAR, and both drivers came away bloodied in one of the most visually memorable skirmishes in the sport's history.

Track: Richmond Raceway

Date: September 10, 2016

Drivers: Ryan Newman vs. Tony Stewart

Teammate history: Newman and Stewart were teammates at Stewart-Haas Racing from 2009–2013.

Context: The incident occurred during the closing laps of the regular-season finale as Newman fought to secure a playoff berth. After multiple instances of contact during the race, Stewart retaliated by turning across Newman’s nose, triggering a crash that collected several cars and effectively ended Newman’s postseason hopes. Newman publicly blasted Stewart afterward, accusing him of having "anger issues," while Stewart defended his actions as payback for earlier contact between the two.

Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Date: March 12, 2017

Drivers: Joey Logano vs. Kyle Busch

Teammate history: Logano and Busch were teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing in Cup from 2009–2012.

Context: During the race, Logano made contact with Busch while racing for position late in the event, sending Busch spinning and ending his chances for a strong finish. On pit road afterward, Busch confronted Logano beside the No. 22 car and threw a punch to spark a heated exchange that was quickly broken up by crew members. The confrontation -- and Busch's bloodied walk away from the fracas -- became perhaps the most notable pit-road altercation of the modern era.

Track: Martinsville Speedway

Date: October 27, 2019

Drivers: Joey Logano vs. Denny Hamlin

Teammate history: Logano and Hamlin were teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing from 2009–2012.

Context: Late in the race, Hamlin moved Logano out of the way while battling for the lead, a bump-and-run move typical of Martinsville’s short-track style. Logano retaliated several laps later, leaning on Hamlin and pushing him up the track before completing the pass. Hamlin responded by spinning Logano in Turn 3, igniting a post-race confrontation on pit road where both drivers had to be separated by crew members. The incident rekindled a rivalry that had begun years earlier when the two were teammates.

Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Date: March 15, 2026

Drivers: Ross Chastain vs. Daniel Suárez

Teammate history: Chastain and Suárez were teammates at Trackhouse Racing from 2022-25.

Context: This clash between former teammates appears to  have been brewing for a while -- as it happened barely a month into the first season after the split. Contact between the two during the race sparked tension that carried beyond the checkered flag, leading to an on-track confrontation and heated exchanges afterward. The moment stood out given the team’s reputation for strong internal chemistry and immediately drew attention across the NASCAR garage and fanbase, with barbs and blogs continuing well after the fact.