“He Can Still Fire Me” – Denny Hamlins’ Employee Questions His Late Darlington Misfortune Amid JGR Downfall

Darlington Raceway witnessed a thrilling showdown last Sunday, with Denny Hamlin at its center. With an Xfinity Series win under his belt the day before, Hamlin stormed into the 2023 season’s only Xfinity Series start. He clinched the first two stages, led an astonishing 177 laps, and looked set to etch his name again in racing history. However, the universe had a curveball lurking just around the bend. 

In the aftermath of the Darlington race, Freddie Kraft, spotter for Bubba Wallace, questioned the unfortunate turn of events. The NASCAR Playoffs were in full swing, and the DBC (Door Bumper Clear) podcast crew, comprising TJ Majors, Brett Griffin, Freddie Kraft, and Casey Boat, were dissecting the race.

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Casey Boat couldn’t help but express his concern about the problems that had plagued some of the playoff drivers. Brett Griffin offered a pragmatic perspective, noting that with 16 playoff drivers in the mix, it was almost expected that half of them would encounter difficulties. He pointed out Denny Hamlin’s loose wheel incident and how Kevin Harvick had seemed like a contender for victory before making an ill-timed pit stop under caution. 

Kraft interjected with a hint of skepticism about Denny Hamlin’s loose wheel claim. He mentioned that there were no visible signs of an open wheel, raising doubts about the accuracy of Hamlin’s assessment. Sensing potential controversy, Griffin playfully asked if Freddie was talking negatively about Denny. TJ Majors then added a touch of humor by asking when Freddie’s contract was up, implying that criticizing the team’s star driver might not be wise.

“I mean he can still fire me if he wants to. Lambert said it’s like… Through Sparks leaving Pit Road for some reason. I saw it. I didn’t see that. But then I… Getting on the elevator, I was asked Chris Gabehart (Denny Hamlin’s crew chief) . I said, if you have loose wheel, he said, well Denny felt the loose wheel. But Gabehart said there was no signs of a loose wheel, which doesn’t mean there wasn’t.”  Kraft said. 

Kraft further added, “Like, you know, who knows what the situation was. But that hit… The 19 had a loose wheel, I think, at one point yesterday. The 20 had a bad pit stop and he got into fans. Like, all the JGR cars were… . I think I’ve seen some crazy stat, which I think we bring up later. But they just… They were as fast as hell and never… I don’t think any of them finished until…”

WATCH THIS STORY: Denny Hamlin Blames Tony Stewart for Letting Down Slowest Kevin Harvick

But fans are eager to know what happened on the track and pit road. 

Denny Hamlin Rollercoaster Day at Darlington with a Fiery escape

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On lap 274, as Denny Hamlin completed a seamless green flag pitstop, he dialed up his #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team with a confession that sent shockwaves through the racing world: “I think I’ve got a loose wheel. Panic ensued as Hamlin darted back into the pits, emerging in 30th place and a lap behind.

Enter Chris Gabehart, Hamlin’s trusty crew chief, who declared the wheels ship-shape after a swift inspection. The question loomed: Was it a phantom vibration or an impending catastrophe? Hamlin summed it up perfectly: “It’s really tough to tell. It looked like the left rear was still tightening as we were gone. It’s close enough to where it didn’t matter. What I felt, I was in a crash. I had to bring it in, and just it turned the day upside down.”

READ MORE: Denny Hamlin Exposes Bubba Wallace’s Heartbreaks as He Uses His Example to Detail His Issue

As the dust settled, Hamlin’s position remained secure; he was still fifth in the standings with two races left in the first round of the playoffs. He sits comfortably above the cutoff outside the precarious 12th-place zone.