Denny Hamlin Uncharacteristically Sides With Cup Series Rival as He Issues Verdict on Daniel Suarez-Alex Bowman Darlington Fiasco

The wreck between Alex Bowman and Daniel Suarez sparked discussions, who’s at fault? With both drivers missing this year’s playoffs, they rallied for strong finishes in the remaining races. Their hopes for a better outcome led to aggressive maneuvers that put them at risk.

During lap 319, #99 Trackhouse driver Suarez displayed impressive speed and grip, challenging Alex Bowman for the 8th position. With his #99 Chevy in a favorable position, the 31-year-old Mexican driver attempted to advance from the inside. However, Bowman, driving for HMS, blocked his moves, prompting Suarez to attempt an inside overtake. Unfortunately, this move ended in a collision, involving #48 as well as #21 driven by Harison Burton. All three cars were forced to retire from the race with DNFs.

As the incident unfolded, the question of fault arose. Both drivers offered their explanations, and even Denny Hamlin weighed in with a surprising verdict that favored his longtime rival

Denny Hamlin’s verdict shocked the NASCAR world

It is no secret strained relations between Denny Hamlin and Alex Bowman have been bittersweet over the years. The rivalry escalated last year during the Martinsville incident, where contact between the two led to Hamlin’s exit from the race and his labeling of the HMS driver as “a hack.”

This year, the tension between Hamlin and Bowman continued with incidents at Chicago, Pocono, and Atlanta. Despite their long-standing rivalry, Denny Hamlin surprisingly supported Alex Bowman during the ongoing Bowman-Suarez controversy. Hamlin discussed his perspective on his podcast when posed with a question by Jared Allen.

In response, Hamlin stated, “It’s really close, I mean you know Suarez took himself out you know trying to prove a point there so I don’t know that he really win with that scenario, yes he wrecked Alex saying, ‘hey, you don’t block me up” I mean I agree with Bowman that they know blocks too so it’s hard to throw a stone, it’s hard to any of us to throw stones because we all do it.”

He continued, “You know if you’re pissed off at Bowman for blocking then I think there’s probably ways to get him in the fence that don’t take yourself out but you know it’s just I don’t know it just seems like kinda like a rage thing “

“Certainly running both of their days which is unfortunate to both of them,” Hamlin concluded by acknowledging the unfortunate outcome that affected both drivers’ days. However, the incident clearly ignited Daniel Suarez’s anger due to the abrupt end to what had been a promising race for him. Meanwhile, Alex Bowman also put forth his side of the story.

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Aftermath of Alex Bowman-Daniel Suarez fiasco

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In conversations with the media, #99 driver Daniel Suarez stated that he considered one block acceptable and even mentioned having an opportunity to put Alex Bowman into the wall, which he chose not to do. However, he expressed strong frustration over the second block made by Bowman. When asked about talking to Bowman, Suarez angrily replied, “No, I haven’t seen him. I hope not. Right now I’m a little too heated, I hope I dont see him in the next 15-20 minutes.”

NBC captured the moment perfectly, recording Alex Bowman’s double block, which many argued was the root cause of the incident. Following the race, Bowman took responsibility for the crash, admitting to his poor move and accepting fault.

Whereas Suarez, who had hopes of performing well in the remaining races, didn’t back down. He referred to Bowman’s double block as a “Dumb Move.”

Both drivers exchanged well-wishes for the Kansas race, setting the stage for a potentially intriguing showdown where Daniel Suarez might seek to return the favor to Alex Bowman. It will undoubtedly be an interesting race to watch, given the context of their recent clash. What are your thoughts on the incident? Feel free to share your opinions in the comments.

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