“I Hate I Left Bubba (Wallace) Off” – Denny Hamlin Curses Leaving Out His NASCAR Driver Out of Daytona 500 Top Five List

Oops! Bubba Wallace would not have liked that. Being forgotten by your own team member is brutal. And that’s exactly what happened to Wallace on Denny Hamlin’s latest podcast.

However, Wallace would understand that it was an honest mistake. Especially after Hamlin gave an honorable mention to him during the latter part of the conversation.

In a recent episode of Actions Detrimental, Hamlin stated that he could pretty much predict the top 5 at the Daytona 500 if there weren’t any crashes on the track. Citing the drivers’ awareness of the draft, their decision-making skills in the pack, and the strength of their respective teams as the deciding factor, Hamlin listed five names.

Surprisingly enough, the 23XI Racing’s co-owner left off his own team’s star driver Bubba Wallace!

But as one would expect, Hamlin soon noticed the absence of #23 from the list. Regretting not adding Bubba Wallace to his Daytona list, Hamlin took the opportunity to share why he feels that Wallace has finally reached the “top tier.” He explained,

“I mean I hate I left Bubba off because he really … I’m telling you I’ve said it in media for the last year. He took a step … something I saw from Daytona one to Daytona two last year that made him a top-tier elite superspeedway racer.”

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Denny Hamlin on Bubba Wallace’s “bold flashy moves”

Furthermore, Hamlin explained how Bubba has grown over the years. Talking about the #23’s journey in the sport, Hamlin revealed why he wants to nominate Wallace as his honorable mention guy in the Daytona 500 top 5 list. Hamlin said,

“He was always good. He made those bold flashy moves like McMurray for so many years. But getting to the front and staying in the front take two different techniques. And I think he finally got both of them starting at Daytona two last year. So, Bubba is my honorable mention guy.”

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Although Hamlin forgot to include his star driver in the top 5 Daytona 500 finishers list, he did make sure to share Wallace’s growth with the audience. With everything that the 23XI Racing co-owner said about Wallace, it was clear that he is extremely proud of #23’s achievements and growth over the years.