Denny Hamlin is finished taking part in the dangerous man. After a disappointing run-in on the Charlotte Roval with Ross Chastain, Hamlin didn’t maintain any grudges. He instantly understood why Chastain needed to race him laborious. To push three-time Cup Collection champion Joey Logano out of the playoffs and in want of heavy factors as they had been tied, Chastain, in a determined transfer, tried to overhaul Hamlin aggressively, which didn’t finish effectively for Hamlin or Ross.
One post-race second captured Hamlin grabbing Chastain’s shoulders, and the NASCAR neighborhood took it the improper approach. Hamlin is blamed for getting aggressive every time he’s accomplished improper by others, and he determined to make clear the matter earlier than he makes any extra enemies inside the NASCAR neighborhood.
Hamlin clears the air
Talking on his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin mentioned, “I don’t need to let it fester. So, let me go speak to him. And so, he wasn’t accomplished. So, once I walked round to the place he was at, his again was to me. So, I grabbed him by the shoulder and I mentioned, “I want to talk with him for a second.” And so, and I wished to show him away from the media. That’s why my arm, in the event you take a look at a nonetheless image, my arm is round him is as a result of I’m making an attempt to show his physique away from the cameras.”
Hamlin managed to complete the two.28-mile race outdoors the highest 20 drivers in P23, in the meantime Chastain wrapped up the race in P21. And alternatively, Joey Logano received the battle with Chastain and led to P20, securing the ultimate playoff spot for the Spherical of 8.
Following the dramatic ultimate lap the place Ross Chastain’s aggressive transfer led to a collision with Denny Hamlin, the veteran driver expressed understanding. Publish-race, Hamlin clarified that he wasn’t conscious of the factors system. “No, I don’t fault Ross in any respect. I simply want I knew so I might have been both ready or made a unique choice.”
Hamlin then despatched a daring message with the following phrases, saying, “And so, I wished to have a personal dialog. However, you realize, are we mates? I don’t suppose so. However I, you realize, my respect for him has grown. I feel that the best way we raced one another in 2022 will not be practically how we raced one another right this moment in 2025. I had questions for him and that was it… Like, I take it like a person once I get worn out. I took it like a person. I perceive. I’m not mad… did I want I used to be in that spot? No…I simply wished to have a real and trustworthy dialog with him, and that was it.”
In truth, even Trackhouse proprietor Justin Marks doesn’t place the blame on the No. 11 driver. He mentioned, “I feel finally, you realize, all people’s out right here to attempt to get the perfect end and the perfect consequence for his or her staff, and I don’t suppose anyone actually owes it to anyone else to attempt to assist anyone else.” Marks appreciated Hamlin’s method, including, “Denny’s doing what he’s obtained to do for the 11 staff and attempt to get the perfect end that he can.” Furthermore, Marks assigned a part of the blame to Chastain’s aggressive driving.
However as Hamlin is finished taking part in white knight for Chastain and his dashed playoff hopes, the veteran shifts his focus to Ross’s teammate. As Shane Van Gisbergen took the checkered flag at Charlotte, coming near Gordon’s six consecutive street course win streak, one motorsports reporter sounded off on SVG being hailed as the perfect street course ace, and let’s simply say Denny Hamlin didn’t take it frivolously.
Denny Hamlin involves SVG’s rescue amid Jeff Gordon-SVG street course debate
NASCAR star got here out swinging on his Actions Detrimental podcast, blasting motorsports journalist Jordan Bianchi’s take that SVG doesn’t measure as much as Jeff Gordon on street programs. And in accordance with Hamlin, that doesn’t maintain true. In his eyes, SVG isn’t simply good; he’s the perfect street course driver NASCAR has ever seen.
Simply to refresh your reminiscence, Jeff Gordon, the four-time Cup Collection champ and present Hendrick Motorsports chairman, was a legend on ovals and no slouch on street programs both, successful 9 of them. However SVG is rewriting the e book. Since making his Cup debut over two years in the past, he has already racked up 5 straight street course wins this yr out of the six. That isn’t only a sizzling streak; it’s historic.
Bianchi, nonetheless, isn’t offered. On the Teardown podcast with Jeff Gluck, he confirmed that Gordon nonetheless wears the crown. He praised Gordon’s dominance in his prime, even suggesting that the racing icon might have made waves in Formulation One, too. And positive, it’s a compelling case in case you are caught within the 2000s. However Hamlin wasn’t having any of it.
Hamlin doubled down, dismissing any debate with the arrogance solely a fellow competitor might carry, “Jordan Bianchi is totally out of his thoughts. Yeah, he’s [SVG] on the short-list for the perfect NASCAR street racer ever. What’s he speaking about? Does he actually suppose that Jeff Gordon, in his prime, would beat SVG right this moment in a Subsequent Gen automobile? Not an opportunity. Not a distant probability… SVG is the best street course NASCAR driver in historical past. And he’s solely been doing it for a yr and a half. And it’s undisputed. Anyone that disputes it, even in my mentions, shut up. I do know, you don’t. I compete. You don’t.”
And simply whenever you thought the mic couldn’t drop more durable, Hamlin questioned Jordan’s credibility altogether, saying, “I don’t even know what Bianchi’s speaking about. It’s simply shedding legitimacy within the journalism world at this level. Not utilizing the factor between your ears.”
Nonetheless, because the Cup storage heads to its first race of the Spherical of 8, SVG should conquer the oval tracks. He has set life like targets, figuring out his functionality relating to oval-track racing. Now, because the Cup storage heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, all eyes shall be on Denny Hamlin for his playoff destiny and on SVG as to how he continues to battle his oval challenges.
