Denny Hamlin’s Discontent Grows as Bubba Wallace’s Last-Minute Move Puts a Pricey Dent in 23XI Racing

The Lone Star State lived up to its reputation for delivering epic showdowns on the racetrack as Kyle Larson and Bubba Wallace, the champ of Denny Hamlin, battled fiercely in the heart of Texas. Their high-speed duel took center stage at the Round of 12 openers, with Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet and Wallace’s 23XI Racing Toyota splitting an astonishing 210 laps at the 1.5-mile facility. 

But as the checkered flag loomed, a dramatic decision left one driver with a wrecked car and the other pondering a race-altering choice. During a recent episode of ‘Actions Detrimental’ hosted by Denny Hamlin and co-host Jared Allen, Denny expressed his thoughts on a pivotal moment during the race. 

The Controversial Choice of Outside Lane

As the sweltering Texas heat bore down on the racers, Larson and Wallace carved their names into the depths of Texas Motor Speedway history. They traded places at the front for 210 laps out of the 267-lap event. But when the checkered flag beckoned, it was time for the rubber to meet the road, and that’s when things got wild.

“I was watching the restart and I see Bubba choosing the outside and like ugh. I just didn’t necessarily especially in the moment agree with that call. Because even though you got the lead that way I just think that the power of position on restarts has changed It’s now on the bottom.” Hamlin stated during the podcast. 

The JGR driver added, “The bottom is the power position. It’s definitely the lane with the most grip through three and four on restarts especially. I just don’t think giving someone else the ability to run you up was a good idea at least.” 

Denny Hamlin pointed out that while Bubba managed to clear a competitor on one restart due to a good jump, if he couldn’t clear on the straightaway, he’d have to battle for position, as seen in a later restart. This would put Bubba at the mercy of the competitor, who could use more racetrack. Denny acknowledged that hindsight always made things clearer. 

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Still, he believed that one mile-and-a-half tracks during late-race restarts, choosing the inside lane seemed like the right play because of the leverage it provided. But that’s not all! The discussion continued, with Denny Hamlin diving into the intricacies of the race and Bubba’s choices.

Denny Hamlin has a Critical Eye on a Pivotal Moment

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In the podcast, Jared inquired about Bubba’s position when racing Kyle Larson inside by the side. Denny explained that Bubba wasn’t in a favorable spot because Larson had a tendency to run up the racetrack, leaving no room to make the corner. When Allen further asked why Kyle eventually spun the #11 Toyota Camry, the JGR driver had his speculations.

“My guess is eventually Kyle would have run him up the track. You know because they’re racing for the win and he’s gonna do whatever he can to get the win. But I think Kyle was also correct in what he said he’s like damn it I should just ran a couple more laps under him. I would have cleared him eventually, he said ‘but I tried to do it right away and I got impatient’.” Hamlin stated.

The 3 times Daytona 500 champion further added, “So I think his assumption of what happened was dead on from what I saw I wouldn’t in either one of the cars. So I saw you know It’s tough for me to understand the lead the situation, but from the outsiders looking in I thought that his summary of the incident was kind of correct and eventually I thought he was going to clear the 23 because you can just time your run into the corner to do that.”

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As the checkered flag waved and the Texas dust settled, one thing was clear: the heart-pounding drama of the race was as unpredictable as the Lone Star State’s weather. Bubba Wallace’s daring move, Kyle Larson’s impatience, and Denny Hamlin’s insights all contributed to a Texas-sized spectacle that left fans and racers alike hungry for more.