Denny Hamlin has always been one of the most unapologetic drivers in the NASCAR circuit. From riling up fans to getting in the face of a fellow driver, the Joe Gibbs Racing star has played a part in controversial moments. This time, he was at his smack-talking best on his radio in Martinsville, only for it to come back to haunt him.

The 42-year-old was one of the favorites to win the Cup Series championship. For the majority of the playoffs, he was the best driver on the track. But things unfolded in the round of 8 in the worst way possible. At the end of the race, the #11 driver was left with the all-too-familiar disappointment of failing to get the job done.

Denny Hamlin jinxed his title hopes with overconfident comments

Denny Hamlin went into the race knowing full well that his best opportunity to make it to Phoenix would be by winning the race. He went into the weekend 17 points behind the cutline. At one point during the race, Hamlin was in the final four on points ahead of a Hendrick Motorsports title hopeful, making him a bit overconfident. In fact, he said some rather unflattering words about his on-track rival. 

The driver in question is none other than the man behind the wheel of the #24, William Byron. Byron may be HMS’s youngest driver right now, but he has won more races than anyone this year, leading the series with six wins. Going into the Martinsville race, the 25-year-old had a massive points advantage, as he was 30 points ahead of the cutline. However, Hamlin didn’t care about any of that.

“Got the 24 by the **** if he wants to play games, we can play games. I’m the one **** Got nothing to lose,” Denny Hamlin had said on the team radio. In the end, Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and Ryan Blaney went through on race wins, and William Byron was the one to win Martinsville. For JGR No. 11, the dream of winning his maiden Cup Series title at the end of the 2023 season remained unfulfilled. 

The JGR star was forced to eat his words in the end, as it was the HMS driver who made it into the championship race. Despite his smack-talking, Denny Hamlin later displayed true sportsman spirit, as he walked up to William Byron after the race and congratulated him on a job well done. The gesture was appreciated by the HMS star, who thanked his rival on Instagram later in the day.

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It was an excruciating day at the office for the 25-year-old. In the end, Byron was so tired that he had to sit down after getting out of his car and take a breather. In the post-race interview, the HMS star revealed his experience.

Hendrick Motorsports youngest star’s fortitude is on full display: “Proud of the team”

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It was an incredibly hot day in Martinsville, and William Byron was no less than frustrated. Already out of the championship race at one point, he troubled to get some air into his helmet. Speaking to Frontstretch later, he said that his things were getting blurry towards the end.

“With 50, 60 to go, it was so blurry inside the car and I just wanted to pull in but you’re not going to do that. I was going to have a failure or do something first. So, just really proud of the team,” the 25-year-old said.

William Byron’s willpower and fortitude are inspiring. He was the embodiment of the popular saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” He will take a lot of confidence from this performance into Phoenix, where he will look to clinch his first Cup title.

Read More – Culminating 5 Years of Disappointment at Martinsville, Denny Hamlin Painfully Addresses Championship Failures