If you didn’t watch the Cook Out 400, you might not get why Denny Hamlin is so furious. Heading into the third turn of the final lap, things seemed pretty clear. Joey Logano was in the lead, with Austin Dillon and Hamlin close behind. It looked like Logano had the win in the bag. But in a split second, everything changed—Dillon made contact, sending Logano straight into the wall and turning his sure victory into a disaster.

Next thing? Austin Dillon won the race, ending his 68-race winless Cup Series streak since 2022. But not before wrecking yet another car on his way. This time it was Denny Hamlin’s car on the receiving end on the final turn. This led to Denny Hamlin sharing his candid reaction after the race and it is safe to say that he is not happy with the result.

Hamlin was on his way to finish third, but when he saw that Joey Logano and Dillon had made contact, he tried to make the most of it. In the end, although he was not wrecked, he finished second, as Logano finished P19 as of yet, despite brushing against the wall and spinning on the final stretch.

The results could still change as NASCAR reviews the last lap contact and aligns everything with the rule book. NASCAR VP of Competition, Elton Sawyer confirmed post-race, “We’ll take a look at all the available resources … If anything rises to a level that we feel like we need to penalize, then we’ll do that on Tuesday.”

However, for now, the final ruling for the race stated that there would be no penalty for Austin Dillon, who caused the two crashes, and this did not settle well with Hamlin. Instead of taking it out on the Richard Childress Racing driver, the No. 11 Toyota driver blamed the officials as he spoke to Bob Pockrass after the race. In the post-race interview, Hamlin rhetorically asked, “Where is the line, Bob? That’s the thing: we have rules against ridiculous acts, but it’s been a long time since those rules were enforced.”

Hamlin’s problem was the fact that there was no penalty issued despite Dillon’s rash driving. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver continued, “Lane breaks, spin someone out, and you get a two-lap penalty or some bulls**t. This is what young short-track racers see because they watch the professionals on Sunday, who are supposed to act like adults, do dumb s**t, and it’s amazing.” Of course, Hamlin was sarcastic about the amazing part, as he makes it clear that Cup Series drivers should not resort to such tactics to win a race.

With the chequered flag in sight, Austin Dillon appeared to close in on a crucial NASCAR Cup win. However, a yellow flag caution after Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spun Ryan Preece forced a restart. Joey Logano took control of the race and was less than a lap away from victory. But as he entered Turn 3, Dillon drove his car into the corner, causing Logano to spin and repeat the trick with Hamlin. This dramatic end will also remind the fans of the incident at the Toyota Owners 400 at Richmond in April, which also involved Hamlin.

Martin Truex Jr. was closing in on the win with half a lap to go before Bubba Wallace’s car clipped the left rear of Larson’s Chevrolet and sent it spinning, drawing out the final caution flag to send the race into overtime. Hamlin prevailed in overtime with Truex Jr. accusing him of jumping the restart. A frustrated Truex Jr. was also seen bumping his car into Kyle Larson on the backstretch and then again after the checkered flag.

For Dillon, this was a crucial win. His season was unraveling with only two top-10 finishes and a solitary top-5 finish. He also suffered from three DNFs this season. With only two races left in the regular season and the playoff field shrinking, Dillon’s victory could not have come at a better time. Nonetheless, the events of Cook Out 400, left Hamlin furious and he wasn’t done venting his anger.

In a message that may not have sat well with NASCAR officials, Hamlin mentioned, “We’re never ever gonna get taken seriously as a sport, because we have no real officiating.”

Hamlin further stated that moments such as these take away from the sport that is trying to build its reputation with playoffs, eliminations, and a championship. In a scathing criticism of the powers that be, he lashed out, “And when we do it and we look silly like tonight, in my mind, your sport has mud on its face. But I think there are probably people in Daytona who love this shit, and they’re the ones that are sending this sport backwards.” Even though Hamlin exempted Dillon from his criticism, Logano wasn’t so kind.

“It’s a bunch of BS. Not even freaking close. Bump-and-run, I get it, but he got in there and just drove through me. It’s ridiculous,” the Team Penske driver said. When asked about how he would race him in the coming events, Logano sent a subtle warning saying, “Wait and watch.”

In his defense, Dillon was defiant. He said he had seen Hamlin and Logano run people off track to win and that it is “just part of the sport.” Mainting his stance he cited his desperate situation. “I hate to do that, but sometimes you just got to have it,” he said.

While Denny Hamlin was not happy that Dillon made such maneuvers, he also understood the RCR driver’s situation.

Denny Hamlin understands why Austin Dillon caused the wrecks

Denny Hamlin is no rookie when it comes to racing. The seasoned veteran is not only a racer who has won 40 races, but he also understands the mentality of each driver at each position on the grid. This is why his anger was not directed towards Austin Dillon but NASCAR.

Hamlin explained, “I didn’t falter because he [Austin Dillon] was desperate; he was 30th in points. He jumped 20 spots or whatever—his season is safe.” With this win, Dillon secured a place in the postseason playoff with only three more places up for grabs.

Hamlin further went on to share what he believes Dillon must have thought while racing. “But it’s so worth it from this point of view, as there are no guardrails or rules that say ‘don’t do that.’ There is no one in the tower who has a problem with it. We will never be taken seriously because we have no real officials.”

It was a devastating race for Joey Logano, who was extremely close to winning the race, but luckily Hamlin did not suffer as much. Ultimately, according to the results, Austin Dillon will be the season’s 13th driver to lock himself into the playoffs, and with that, RCR is back in contention.

Considering everything, do you think that Austin Dillon should have been penalized for causing the wrecks? Share your thoughts in the comments below.