Austin Dillon was furious. The Richard Childress Racing driver was on the receiving end of a hard slam by Denny Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota at the Circuit of The Americas. Tempers were flaring at the newly revamped road course as both the racers were eager to make their mark on the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. Known as the ‘calamity corner,’ Turn 6A proved to live up to its name at the 2.3-mile national course, as the incident played a big role in their overall finishes.

Dillon, who was forced to endure his first DNF of the season, didn’t hesitate to set the record straight on social media. The No. 3 Chevy driver went on to publicly blame Hamlin for the incident, despite NASCAR’s subtle cover-up of the wreck.

Denny Hamlin was called out for his actions

The repercussions were felt across the grid. It was quite clear from the get-go that Denny Hamlin and Austin Dillon weren’t going to have a great day in Austin, Texas. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran was involved in a Lap 1, Turn 1 incident, which resulted in damage to his No. 11 Toyota Camry. Despite his right fender being more or less ripped off, the 44-year-old soldiered on while struggling for pace, desperately hoping to make up the positions as the race progressed. Unfortunately for Dillon, the Richard Childress Racing driver was caught up in the crossfire.

During the closing laps of the race, Denny Hamlin’s vehicle locked up near Turn 6A, forcing the veteran racer to slam nose-first into the door of Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Chevy. The impact was a bad one, forcing both drivers to spin while the RCR racer was sent into the gravel. A video of the incident uploaded by NASCAR on X was captioned, “The Nos. 3 and 11 make contact and the yellow flag flies.” However, Richard Childress’ grandson clarified how things went down, going on to write, “Correction. The No. 11 made contact with the No. 3.”

While Hamlin managed to carry on like nothing happened, Austin Dillon’s wheels were stuck in the gravel, even though the racer attempted to get back on the track. Eventually, the No. 3 Chevy was tied to a truck, which pulled the vehicle out of the pebbles. However, the damage was already done by then, forcing the racer to settle for a 35th-place finish at the Circuit of the Americas, becoming one of only three drivers who were forced to retire early.

They say revenge is a dish best served cold, and Denny Hamlin may have underlying motives for wrecking Austin Dillon. While the simple explanation is that his car locked up, resulting in the crash, another possible reason could be the wreck at Richmond Raceway last year. Dillon went on to win the 2024 Cook Out 400 at ‘America’s Premier Short Track,’ with the triumph coming at Joey Logano and Hamlin’s expense. Hamlin said after the race in 2024, “We have rules to prevent ridiculous acts, but, you know, it’s been a long time since the rules have been enforced.”

On the face of it, Hamlin didn’t break any rules. He got locked up, and it resulted in an accidental collision, but Dillon clearly does not feel the same way. Could the Florida native be issuing a payback for the last lap incident at the 0.750-mile track? Only he will know.

Kyle Busch was affected by Hamlin and Dillon’s wreck

NASCAR is a sport defined by fine margins, where every single incident can have repercussions on the rest of the grid. Unfortunately for Kyle Busch, the Richard Childress Racing driver learned that lesson the hard way at COTA. In control of his destiny at the road course, the veteran was on the verge of finally breaking his 59-race winless streak by being in the lead with 18 laps to go. Despite having a healthy two-second lead over second place, William Byron, ‘Rowdy’ couldn’t hold on to his advantage after a caution was raised because of the Turn 6A incident.

Denny Hamlin crashed into Austin Dillon’s No. 3 Chevy, bringing about a late caution at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix. Kyle Busch, whose tires were worn out by then, struggled to maintain the advantage during the restart, forcing him to drop down to 5th. Sharing his thoughts on the incident and his subsequent approach, the veteran racer said, “Once we had that yellow, you’re just in defense mode.”

Despite leading a race-high 42 laps at the Circuit of the Americas, the No. 8 Chevy couldn’t cope with the sheer pace of race winner Christopher Bell, along with William Byron, Tyler Reddick, and Chase Elliott in the closing stages, finishing fifth. One can’t help but think if a win would have been inevitable if Denny Hamlin hadn’t locked up and slammed into Rowdy’s teammate. However, it’s a reality the Nevada native has already accepted, and he’s looking at the upcoming race in Phoenix to break his 60-race winless run. Do you think luck will favor Kyle Busch next week? Let us know in the comments!