Michael Jordan’s NASCAR Prodigy’s Nashville Nightmare Turned Out Awesome for Boss Denny Hamlin & “Lucky Dog” HMS Star

Ally400 at the Nashville Superspeedway indeed was a spectacle. With the stands packed full of cheering fans, the high-speed action at the iconic track had all the elements for a run-away hit. From back-and-forth battles between drivers, a feel-good finish from Ross Chastain to a bitter experience for Tyler Reddick, Ally400 certainly was an emotional rollercoaster.

The 23XI Racing driver was chasing a much sought-after win, even winning stage 1. But his day took a sharp detour when disaster struck the #45 Toyota at the pit lane entrance on Lap 139. With the driver getting penalized 2 laps owing to his tire coming off, his boss Denny Hamlin revealed how one man’s treacherous luck can be another man’s convenience.

Following the race, Denny Hamlin was back in his studio with his co-host Jared Allen. This time though, Hamlin welcomed a special guest from Hendrick Motorsports to discuss the race happenings as they highlighted how the #45 driver’s on-track blemish was beneficial for them.

Denny Hamlin joins his guest as they reveal how Reddick’s unfortunate episode gave them the advantage

The race itself was a thriller. Drivers were fiercely competing against one another for track positions. The driver who redeemed himself the most was Ross Chastain. Chastain’s Sunday run was nothing short of spectacular. His undying spirit and the #1 Chevy’s ability to gather speed made Trackhouse Racing’s win an even greater delight.

While one driver got the best of the rest with the Chevy at the top, the Toyotas weren’t much behind. Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas, #19 and #11 were close behind the Chevy for the finish but just couldn’t run up to it. However, coming second in the qualifying and winning stage 1, the #45 Toyota suffered rotten luck just before entering the pit.

Though this ruined Reddick’s plans, it gave Byron and Hamlin a valuable opportunity that they capitalized on quickly. Speaking on the popular Action Detrimental podcast, Hamlin explained the situation vividly, “Yeah, I thought that Reddick was strong as well just from what I saw from the first stage, I was you know 4th or 5th and I know that he went past Ross late in the first stage to win the stage and so, it seems he was hindered by pit road stuff for sure, we got to figure that out, it’s just its really kind of holding him back a little bit right now so that’s that’s frustrating for sure, it certainly the caution benefitted us when it did come out.” 

Byron on the other hand chimed in with his point of view with a touch of humor, he said, “Oh, you were the leader, I was the lucky dog which was weird, I was the lucky dog so I’m running at that time I would’ve ran 2nd to Truex but cos Reddick and I were side-by-side for 2nd and he lost the wheel and you were the leader so I didn’t get the lucky or I got the lucky dog but I got a free pit stop about it which is weird.”

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While they mentioned how Reddick’s slump proved to be beneficial for both the driver, Byron also reflected on Chastain’s brilliant run, revealing his astonishment.

Hamlin and Byron discuss Ross Chastain’s spectacular run in detail

With the Watermelon Man clinching his first win of the season, Chastain is now in the third spot, tying up with William Byron with 558 points. Though the driver was clearly underperforming in earlier races following the notorious stint with Byron’s teammate, Kyle Larson, Chastain once again proved to the world that he is more than just an aggressor.

He was calculated and methodical with controlled aggression and Hamlin’s remarks about his former rival itself speak volumes about the driver’s capabilities, Hamlin said, “Ross comes and he was strong in the long run anyway he ran us down, passed Martin [Truex Jr] pretty quickly then passed me pretty quickly and easily as well and then we had that last stop and he just did a good job cycling through and keeping the lead, that pretty much was it for us.” 

While Byron vividly recalled the #1 Chevy breathing down his neck, he said, “I was at top, I was 3rd or 4th place car and then Ross would always come on like we got to maybe 20laps to go in the stage, he would start you know filling up in my mirror, it was just matter of time, like he could run up first and second and carry a lot of speed,” 

As the most polarising driver in NASCAR returns to the victory lane after so much of drama, the 2023 season just got more exciting.

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