Denny Hamlin Reveals the Absurd Reason That Ruined Bubba Wallace’s Phenomenal Start to the Season

It’s no secret that the pressure had been piling on Bubba Wallace ever since the off-season. After Denny Hamlin called out his driver for underselling the team’s ability to score top-10s on the Netflix series, Wallace was certainly on a mission to prove to everyone, including himself, that he indeed belongs in the top-10 finishers list, if not even higher.

Unfortunately, Wallace’s run of back-to-back top-five finishes at the super-speedways was ruined by a pit-stop error during the Las Vegas race, leading many to speculate: what went wrong? So now that Denny Hamlin has officially spilled the beans on what unfolded, it’s safe to say that, this time around, it was his team that unintentionally threw a wrench in the works and kept Wallace from getting a decent finish at Sin City.

Bubba Wallace’s Vegas heartbreak reason: A cause for concern or laughter?

After blissful weekends in Atlanta and Daytona, where he finished 5th, Bubba Wallace was hopeful he could repeat his brilliant results in Vegas, too. But unfortunately, we all know how that boat sank, with him ending up in 35th place. At first, it seemed like Wallace’s race was cut short owing to a wheel that had presumably molded itself to the hub. However, the reality is far less complicated, and it even amused Denny Hamlin to the point that he couldn’t retell it to the media without bursting into laughter himself!

Speaking of how the incident unfolded, Hamlin stated, “They explained it on TV; I will say that they did a really good job; kind of the guns started getting going, and when they went in there, they didn’t tighten it too much. But when they grabbed the heavy-duty gun – it’s the same brand – the off position is “on” on that side and “off” on this side, so it’s opposite.”

Naturally, the pit crew member relied on muscle memory and pressed the inverted switch instead, meaning that the lug nut was tightened even further. Hamlin explained, “[In] the same brand of gun, the on-switch is in a different spot. So, the guy checked, and we went to take it off and just tightened it even more with the heavy-duty gun because the switch is backwards on the same brand gun. Can’t make it up [laughs amusingly].” 

The 23XI racing co-owner joked about welding the switch to the unlocking position on all the 23XI higher-powered guns. He stated, “I don’t think there’s any reason to tighten anything with that heavy-duty gun for sure.” While Denny Hamlin couldn’t help but laugh while explaining the reason behind Wallace’s misery, as per Bubba Wallace’s crew chief, it may have been a “foolish” decision.

Was Denny Hamlin “foolish” for giving away the reason behind 23XI’s blunder?

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While the team owner was quick to reveal the details behind the unfortunate circumstances at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Wallace’s crew chief, Bootie Barker, wasn’t so keen on talking about the same.

Speaking on SiriusXM’s NASCAR Radio, Bootie Barker was reluctant to reveal the details behind what went wrong. He reasoned, “It’d probably be foolish for me to describe it so well because I don’t really want to help my competitors,” said the #23 crew chief. “I’d like my competitors to have the same thing happen to them is what I’m hoping.”

If the world were left in the dark about the real reason, it wouldn’t be far-fetched for a team to fall victim to the same scenario shortly. But all in all, Bubba Wallace will be relieved that the 23XI Racing garage has hashed out the cause of the issue.

READ MORE: Denny Hamlin Believes His Detrimental Mistake Rigged Phoenix Outcome- “We Would Have Won”