The Coca-Cola 600 race at Charlotte Motor Speedway brings both the best and worst out of the race car drivers. Last Sunday’s rain-affected race did deliver some thrilling race action but also saw drivers losing their cool. It was Joe Gibbs Racing’s star driver, Denny Hamlin who felt impeded by Chris Buescher on the pit road. So much so that he even threatened to intentionally wreck him during the race if he didn’t stop with his antics.

With the way pit boxes were laid out at Charlotte, drivers did have a tough time exiting the pit road. Unfortunately, Hamlin had to back up his #11 race car to make an exit and avoid hitting the #17 car of Chris Buescher. However, if Hamlin had looked at the pit stall map, he could’ve avoided making a meal of the situation.

Hamlin’s verbal threats aimed at Buescher were unwarranted

The #17 car didn’t make the qualifying lap after wrecking his primary race during the practice runs. Unable to choose his pit stall for the race, he was placed just ahead of Hamlin in the first grid of pit stalls. With the space between the stalls tight, Buescher was pitting towards the back.

This forced Hamlin to put his car in reverse and then make an exit, avoiding any contact with the #17. But this started to become a recurring theme and caused Hamlin to lose his cool. Frustrated with the ordeal, the JGR star on his team radio asked his crew chief to find a solution to the issue, before he took matters into his own hands.

“Well, then go over there, Chris, go talk to him,” Hamlin said on his team radio. Although Gabehart himself was out of options, expressing his frustration with the situation, he replied, “If I do anything more than I’ve already done, we’re going to fight, you understand? I’ve done all I can.” Completely losing his bearing, the JGR driver responded on the radio, “That’s what I’m going to do. You hear me, 17? Park in your f**king box or I will stomp your bumper.”

But it turns out that Hamlin could’ve avoided the misunderstanding. Looking at the pit stall assignment, one can easily identify the empty box behind the #11 stall. So rather than throwing a temper tantrum at his opponent, he could have just made use of the empty box behind him and pit short, as he wouldn’t be hitting any cars behind him. This was even visible from the visual when the calmer heads prevailed and both the drivers talked out their differences during the rain delay. Despite the misunderstandings and the rain playing spoilsport, Denny Hamlin still managed to secure a strong finish. Thus continuing to add to his strong start this season.

Denny Hamlin topples Kyle Larson from the top of the drivers standings

It’s difficult to say that Hamlin was in contention to win the race. The likes of Brad Keselowski and even Tyler Reddick, who started the race on the tail end, were the genuine contenders. Well, the veteran JGR driver knows how to win the Coca-Cola 600 event; his most recent win came in 2023. But he won’t be bummed by a P5 finish after all.

Justin Allgaier replaced the HMS star driver, Larson, who was making his debut run at the Indy 500. He did return to Charlotte in the nick of time, but the race never went back green. Even if he did manage to win the race, he wouldn’t have been awarded the points, as he didn’t start the event. So the number one spot was up for grabs, and Hamlin’s P5 finish was enough for him to leapfrog his teammate, Martin Truex Jr.

The Hamlin vs. Larson storyline is only starting to shape up. Do you think it could very well go down the wire in the playoffs or the championship win? Share your thoughts in the comments below.