“Always the First To Go”- Wretched Kyle Busch Down to His Third Strike As Denny Hamlin Outplays Former Teammate

As foreseen by Denny Hamlin on his podcast, Actions Detrimental, the race at Talladega Superspeedway lived up to its reputation as a “chaotic spectacle.” Numerous collisions and battered vehicles bore testament to his accurate prediction. While it didn’t mirror Daytona, it unquestionably delivered a spectacle for the eager NASCAR fans who crave such high-velocity accidents.

Possibly, Hamlin’s early foresight played a part in his eventual third-place finish, as he deftly avoided the mishaps. Among the incidents was one involving Kyle Busch in the initial stages, where Busch’s car suffered significant damage. Hamlin’s adept handling of the situation, much to the astonishment of the former Joe Gibbs Racing driver, enabled him to emerge relatively unscathed.

Denny Hamlin skillfully navigated to clinch P3

Kyle Busch is teetering on the edge of elimination, currently occupying the last spot among the 12 teams. If he doesn’t step up at Charlotte, he’s at risk. Reflecting on this precarious position, Busch remarked, “Last shot, so we’ll see where it takes us!“

Besides that, during his post-race interview, Busch also discussed an earlier collision that slightly marred his car, a situation that Denny Hamlin deftly avoided. Describing the incident, Busch stated, “I don’t think it (Ricky Stenhouse Jr.’s fuel debacle) impacted us at all. The car drove fine. I pulled out there to get in that high lane when we all kind of got jumbled up there coming through the front stretch, and the #43 came with me, and a couple of others were up there and just didn’t go anywhere. The pace was too fast around the bottom, in the middle, that the outside couldn’t make any headways.”

And with a hint of admiration for Denny Hamlin, Kyle Busch noted, “I was waiting for the 11 to jump out there because he is always the first to go, and he never did. He actually tucked back in line, so he must have thought a little bit more about what was going to happen.”

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Furthermore, the Richard Childress driver also acknowledged his attempt to swiftly maneuver away from a brush with Ross Chastain, though it did inflict some damage. On the other hand, Chastain, another casualty of the collision, conceded that perhaps he might have evaded the contact had he stayed in the innermost lane.

Ross Chastain reflects on his early exit from the race

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Like Kyle Busch, Ross Chastain finds himself in a shaky position among the bottom four in the round of 12. Yet, in contrast to some of his counterparts, Chastain exudes a laid-back demeanor, remarking, “That’s just the way it goes. Nothing personal with it. I don’t take any of this personally here.”

Addressing the mishap, he accepted responsibility, musing, “Could have stayed bottom a few laps earlier, probably been safer. I just kind of had a couple of cars landing on my lap there, and I went for the gap. I mean, obviously, I wish I would have lifted now, but study that and be better next time.”

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Of course, it’s worth noting that, just like Kyle Busch, Charlotte represents Chastain’s last stand in this round. Given his track record at the venue—a less-than-stellar performance with no finishes better than 15th place in 8 starts—it might be an uphill battle for the Trackhouse Racing driver.