There was complete chaos at Martinsville Speedway when the checkered flag was waved. Battered cars were strewn across the track while an elated Austin Hill couldn’t believe his luck. The Richard Childress Racing driver was running sixth just seconds before the race ended, but somehow, miraculously, ended up winning the US Marine Corps 250 in the most bizarre circumstances. The situation highlighted NASCAR’s longstanding issues once again, and Denny Hamlin wasn’t having any of it.

Outspoken as ever, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran didn’t hesitate to share his thoughts on social media. He couldn’t help but criticize NASCAR’s tolerance to accept such outcomes in the race and urged the sanctioning body to take stricter measures to prevent such circumstances from occurring again.

Denny Hamlin upset by late wrecks at Martinsville

The stakes were high, and tensions were ever higher in the final lap at Martinsville Speedway. Taylor Gray was desperately scrambling towards the finish line, with Sammy Smith hot on his heels, hoping to snatch a victory. The ‘Half Mile of Mayhem’ truly lived up to its name as Smith’s No. 8 Chevy was seen making contact with the left rear of Gray’s No. 54 Toyota, sending the Joe Gibbs Racing driver spinning into the outside wall. Smith, who competes for JR Motorsports, didn’t have it easy either, as the impact made him lose control of his vehicle and collide with Justin Allgaier.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Austin Hill broke free in the final turn to snatch the victory, while a multi-car wreck followed right after. Denny Hamlin was infuriated by how the race ended and wrote on X, “Absolute garbage.” The 44-year-old went on to say, “God I wish I were in the booth. Id get fired but I damn sure would call these idiots out.” Responding to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s post on X, which read, “This racetrack is historic in the grand scheme of all things NASCAR and deserves better,” Hamlin wrote, “It just takes 1 penalty and it will stop this s—. For the short term that is. Gotta send a message.”

Denny Hamlin’s frustrations are understandable. For the sake of entertainment and audience engagement, NASCAR has turned a blind eye to chaotic finishes for far too long. Taylor Gray, who led 87-laps right until the final turn will be feeling robbed after the incident with Sammy Smith. He deserved better than a 29th-place finish, a sentiment his fellow Joe Gibbs Racing veteran seemed to agree with. Not only do finishes like these raise question about the safety standards, but it also casts doubt about the integrity of the sport.

Visibly upset at being wrecked by Sammy Smith, Gray said in the post-race interview, “I was a little upset when he first hit me, just because I felt like I haven’t put a scratch on him all year. He could have raced me a little bit better.” In response, the JR Motorsports driver said, “I mean, absolutely, it was egregious. I mean, yeah, I’m not proud of that, but I mean, if roles were reversed, he would have done the same thing.”

Jesse Love, who got wrecked with under 40 laps to go, lamented the racing at Martinsville, saying, “That’s why I don’t enjoy coming here all the time.” These comments are a continuation of his comments from 2024 after the Martinsville playoff race got hit with a slew of cautions, and Love said, “It’s typical s—, what do you expect? We come here and host a Mickey Mouse race to go to the Final Four.”

Evidently, it’s not the first time NASCAR has been blamed for taking wrecks seriously. In the Xfinity Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway earlier this year, the sanctioning body didn’t put out a caution in the final lap, despite multiple cars wrecking, just so that the front-running cars could race to the finish line. NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Competition, Elton Sawyer, went on to admit that the decision was wrong, saying, “That was on us. If a situation comes up like last night will be a caution.” However, it seems like the organization hasn’t learned from its mistakes.

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Martinsville has a history of drama and controversy

It’s not just another short track. It’s a stage that has seen plenty of tempers flaring, rivalries being formed, and all-out brawls taking place. The tight turns and close-quarter action is a recipe for drama and there have been plenty of unforgettable moments from the track over the years. One of the most explosive incidents took place in the Truck Series in 2013, when Kevin Harvick was battling hard with Ty Dillon, with Richard Childress’ grandson bumping, shoving, and even attempting to spin out the No. 14 Chevy.

Ty Dillon ended up hooking Harvick’s truck in Turn 1, triggering a caution. In retaliation, the 2014 Cup Series champ went on to park intentionally in Dillon’s pit stall to block him from getting in. What followed was complete chaos, as one of Dillon’s crew members threw a sledgehammer at Harvick’s truck. Yes, you read that right! Visibly angry, Kevin Harvick later said that was “Exactly the reason why I’m leaving RCR.” And who can blame him?

Another incident occurred between Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano at the 2019 Xfinity 500. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver slammed into Logano, pinning him to the wall. Both drivers were seen confronting each other in the pit road, and before you knew it, an all-out brawl was taking place. It started with Logano shoving Hamlin, prompting crew members from both teams to join in. Taking a swipe at his rival, Hamlin couldn’t help but say, “He’s scared.” That’s Martinsville Speedway, where every altercation can become personal in the blink of an eye.

Do you think the race on Cup Series Sunday will see such heated moments? Let us know in the comments!