Bristol Lap 263 delivered a crushing blow to defending champion Joey Logano’s championship dreams. The pivotal moment came in Stage 3 when a three-driver collision ensnared Logano, leaving his car mangled on the back driver’s side and forcing him into a bitter DNF during the high-stakes elimination race.

With his championship hopes hanging by a thread, Logano found himself reliant on the misfortunes of other playoff drivers to secure advancement. However, luck deserted him as he languished in 34th place, leading to his elimination from the playoff round of 12, making Logano the only reigning cup series champion to be ousted in the first round, leaving frustration in its wake. The road ahead was blocked for the erstwhile champ, something Denny Hamlin was ‘glad’ about, as he later revealed.

Twisting the Knife in Penske and Ford’s Wounds

In the midst of Joey Logano‘s despair, there emerged a tale of triumph, and it was none other than Denny Hamlin who penned it with his 51st career victory. Following a stellar performance at Bristol, Hamlin made waves once again with the latest episode of his podcast, ‘Actions Detrimental,’ where he seemed intent on adding a pinch of salt to Roger Penske and Ford’s wounds.

Hamlin didn’t mince words as he tackled the subject of Ford’s challenging year, dominated by Chevrolet in the wins column. At Bristol, Ford watched in dismay as three of its four playoff contenders faced elimination. Hamlin didn’t hold back when discussing Ford’s performance, remarking, “They are not just qualifying well; they are practicing well, and they are racing well. They are legit. We can’t just ignore the fact that it’s a weekly thing now. Even though they were eliminated, they deserve a ton of credit this year in what has been a down year for the manufacturer.”

Jared chimed in, emphasizing the significance of Ford’s ability to remain competitive even after being eliminated from the playoffs. “It’s also telling that in a race where that team used to come in and compete for a win, they did just that. They showed up in a car that could win.”

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Hamlin concurred, “Hey, they gotta win or it’s over, right?” But they showed up and they showed out, so they gave themselves the opportunity. If cautions or things fell differently, you just never know. They nearly did it. Logano said in his interview, “We are running crappy, and we got caught up in a wreck because we were running crappy.” He was running 31st, certainly at some point of the first stage before they got wrecked. That’s just not what you expect out of Penske Racing or Joey Logano. Certainly, if they are running like that, there’s something off. It’s not just some accident. They’ve performed really well at that track”

Denny Hamlin revels in his competitor’s elimination

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Ultimately, Hamlin expressed relief at Logano’s elimination from the playoffs, recognizing Logano’s uncanny ability to perform under pressure, “As a competitor, I’m like, ‘man, I’m glad Logano is eliminated’ because he just, it doesn’t matter how fast his car is, he finds a way, he grinds his way. They just find a way to finish better than they run most weeks.”

But just a week prior, Hamlin found himself on the other side of the spectrum at Kansas. Kansas Speedway witnessed a dramatic turn of events as Hamlin, poised for victory, was denied the trophy when his own team, 23XI Racing, and driver Tyler Reddick clinched the win. The victory lane was filled with jubilant celebrations, but one prominent figure was notably disgruntled – Hamlin himself.

In the aftermath of the loss, Hamlin shared his thoughts on the situation, admitting, “Having to take a picture with Tyler with the trophy he stole from me sucked. Oh, it sucks so bad.” Despite the disappointment, Hamlin managed to maintain perspective, acknowledging the late-race caution that altered the outcome. He added, “But if I’m gonna lose out because of the late-race caution because I’m so happy at least it was them versus somebody else.”

“I mean, had Logano won that race, that would be an absolute non-factor whatsoever, boy that would have stunk even worse. But yeah, at least Tyler was able to get it done. He’s been competitive for the last two weeks in a row, staying up front so they capitalize on the opportunity.”

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By this, it would be safe to say that Logano was indeed one of Hamlin’s major threats, and he’s relieved to see that threat eliminated. As the season unfolds, the question remains: Can Hamlin maintain a strong hold on his points and navigate his way to the Championship 4?