There are only so many instances that leave Denny Hamlin baffled. Daniel Suarez’s decision-making at Talladega Superspeedway, where he attempted to blend in with the pack after serving a pass-through penalty might be one of them. On a track known for its high-speed, multi-car wrecks, the Trackhouse Racing driver played a risky game in Stage 1 involving BJ McLeod, only to get the worse end of the stick at the 2.66-mile oval.

On a day when NASCAR saw its biggest crash in history occur, Denny Hamlin couldn’t help but question Suarez’s rationale, thinking that ulterior motives could have been at play at the 2024 YellaWood 500.

Daniel Suarez faced a tough start at Talladega as he fought to keep his championship hopes alive. The Trackhouse Racing driver, outside the elimination cutline, needed a strong finish to advance to the Round of 8. However, his No. 99 Chevy received a penalty for unapproved roof adjustments, forcing Suarez to start at the back of the grid. To add to his troubles, he also received a pass-through penalty, and his crew chief, Eddie D’Hondt Jr., was ejected from the track.

Given the circumstances, it’s no surprise that Suarez resorted to desperate measures after going a lap down at Talladega. However, Denny Hamlin couldn’t help but question his intentions during the Actions Detrimental podcast, saying, “What the hell was he doing? You listen to the in-car and you’re thinking, ‘Well, maybe the spotter told him to get up.’ The spotter did not. I have no idea what Daniel was doing or thinking at that moment because he was going so much slower than the pack. There was a two-car gap between the last car to pass and then BJ [McLeod]. He thought that just turning right, right in front of BJ, was a good idea.”

Not one to shy away from sharing his views, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran went on to say, “Now, thinking about this, what it could have caused is a chain reaction, then caused a caution, and then he got his lap back. So, I’m wondering, the conspiracy theorist in me is like, ‘Was he trying to cause a caution to get his lap back?’ Like, create some chaos, right? Clearly, he wanted chaos, because he put himself right in the middle of the pack when they’re coming at him 20 miles an hour faster.”

Under pressure going into the 2024 YellaWood 500, Daniel Suarez found himself at a disadvantage after a 13th-place finish at Kansas Speedway without crucial stage points. Early in the Talladega race, he served a penalty and, to avoid going two laps down, made an ill-timed move on BJ McLeod that resulted in a collision.

Despite these setbacks, Suarez finished 26th. Now sitting 10th in the standings and 20 points below the cutline, he faces a critical challenge at the Charlotte Roval, where he’ll need a strong result to keep his playoff hopes alive.

Denny Hamlin shares his views about Talladega’s ‘Big One’

It was the biggest wreck in NASCAR history. With five laps to go, 28 cars were involved in a multi-car incident after Brad Keselowski made contact with the bumper of race leader Austin Cindric’s No. 2 Ford Mustang. What followed was absolute carnage as a chain reaction resulted in several drivers being forced to retire early in the high-stakes race. Even though Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Keselowski were involved in the incident, both drivers managed to escape unscathed to finish first and second at the YellaWood 500.

Recalling the incident in the Actions Detrimental podcast, Denny Hamlin said, “Obviously, the 6 is coming to the 2 (Austin Cindric) car with such a run. I think Brad tweeted it, ‘Listen, I’m trying to lift.’ He didn’t lift a lot by the way, but he did lift some and he did hit some break to try to slow down the run. He just got shoved into a wreck, and unfortunately for those guys that kind of probably initially caused it which is the 22 and the 21, they got bit by the actions they started. We see this a lot certainly with this Next Gen car.”

Hamlin was one of the few drivers who escaped the incident unscathed and took advantage of the chaos to secure a top-ten result. The 43-year-old remains in a comfortable position going into the final Round of 12 race at the Charlotte Roval and will look to keep his momentum with just five races remaining.

He may not have won a race since Dover Motor Speedway earlier this year, but consistency will be key to remaining in the hunt at this stage of the competition. With the elusive championship on the line, could Denny Hamlin finally lift the silverware at Phoenix Raceway later this year?