Lady Luck did not wish to favor rivals Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin in Iowa. And their below-average results are only the tip of the iceberg. As it played out quite fittingly, the Cup Series’ first ‘big crash’ on its grand arrival at the Newton oval ended up belonging to the top two points leaders approaching the Iowa Corn 350 weekend.

Nevertheless, heading out of the Hawkeye State, Hamlin and Larson seem to have put their woes in the past, recovering from more than just a bad patch and a couple of bruised egos. One must remember, that true champions recover regardless, even if they tango more than just one time on any given day. However, the duo may have brought about some doubters instigating foul play after a few brush-ups in Stage 2, before that big one with Daniel Suarez in Stage 3. But Denny squashed all the controversy of a ‘dirty rivalry’ with Kyle Larson on the latest episode of his podcast, Actions Detrimental.

Denny Hamlin explains bumping Kyle Larson in stage 1

To gain context let’s rewind a few laps before Daniel Hemric blew his tire in Stage 2 to bring out the 5th accident caution for an on-track incident. After facing problems with his tire setup early to go a lap down for most of the race, Denny Hamlin ran into the rear bumper of Kyle Larson’s race-leading #5 Chevy. It was only an accident and was barely “intentional,” as Hamlin explained to his co-host Jared Allen.

Allen brought the question to Hamlin, referencing the buzz on social media over the seemingly unnecessary incident, stating, “You were running behind him for a bit in this race you were a lap down um and moved him out of the groove and that kind of took over social media for a moment there during the race. Was that intentional/unintentional?” Hamlin, emphasizing his car “was a lap slower than his (Larson’s)” told his podcast partner of his unfortunate misjudgment, “No, it was unintentional. I clearly misjudged the center roll speed of my car and his combined…”

Joe Gibbs’ #11 driver then shed light on the potential reasons why someone would ascertain his actions as intentional, referencing a prior incident in the race, “But he slid us in three and four, which I wasn’t mad about that at all. I’m a lap down so I got to get out of the way, but we went into turn one, I was somewhat close to him but then I was trying to roll really good fast center speed and it looked like he had his hands full all the way into the center. And then I just coasted into him. Like I thought I throttled up too early but I was just rolling speed through the center, and clearly misjudged it.”

He concluded his justification with his on-track perspective of the whole issue, stating, “Because I was trying to turn down a little bit below him. But I think at the time he was a little bit free on entry and then obviously he got really free when I ran in the back of him so I’m glad he saved it.”

Following this incident, motorsports reporter Chris Knight informed fans that Kyle Larson had a “moment on pit road” for a quick check as he was “punted by Denny Hamlin.” In an emphatic instance, Chase Elliott would take the lead for only a single circuit in his first & last opportunity to do so, due to his teammate’s minor setback.

However, this would foretell much deeper consequences once the race finally chequered down its 350 laps.

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As most must know by now, the second last yellow of the Iowa Corn 350 was waved on Lap 221 for a wreck right before the start-finish line involving the cars of Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez, Larson, and Hamlin. In the replays, it was clear that Larson clipped his left rear on the #99’s right fender, which converged his car into Hamlin’s #11 Toyota, slamming both into the wall. Hamlin recovered from the impact to pit multiple times after the incident and finished P24, but Larson’s Chevy wouldn’t be the same. He would finish his race in P34 above the only two DNFs (Kyle Busch and AJ Allmendinger) out of a 36-car field.

Nevermind, the #5 had a bright spot in Stage 2 after winning the cycle, leading Hamlin, who surprisingly secured a few playoff points with a P6. Their average showcases in Iowa opened the door for Chase Elliott to take the lead in the regular season championship standings by eight points. This will be the first time since the 2022 playoffs that Hendrick Motorsports’ #9 driver has led the points table. Eager to shed a sorry narrative latched on the back of a tumultuous 2023 season, could these be signs of a Chase Elliott resurgence? It seems the early season dominance of Kyle Larson & Denny Hamlin in the points standings is finally facing some competition.

Moreover, with Ryan Blaney’s win at Iowa, only six spots remain for drivers in the playoffs bubble to claim as their own. Elliott, Hamlin & Larson are already ready to battle it out in the post-season. But will some notable names like Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, or even Bubba Wallace miss out on a chance for ultimate NASCAR glory in 2024? We must first uncover the next riddle of the NASCAR season on June 23rd.