“I’d Put My Grandmother in the Wall”: Former JGR Star Recalls Intense Battle That Had Denny Hamlin Apologizing

Denny Hamlin has earned his reputation as NASCAR’s ‘Villain’ for a reason. His “I beat your favorite driver” motto became so notorious that it seemed he had to retire it. So, it’s not often you hear Hamlin apologize for a victory. But that’s exactly what happened at the 2019 Bristol Motor Speedway night race.

As Hamlin secured victory over former JGR teammate Matt DiBenedetto, he skipped the usual showboating to share his remorse. The 23XI co-owner stated, “I’m so sorry to Matt DiBenedetto and Mike Wheeler. I hate it.” While these words were unusual for someone like Hamlin to say, what prompted one of NASCAR’s most polarizing figures to humble himself?

Now, it looks like it’s Matt DiBenedetto who is finally taking fans on a trip down memory lane to retell his version of that story, this time with a clearer perspective.

A new leaf on that fateful night in Bristol by Matt DiBendetto

When Matt DiBenedetto was ‘blindsided’ by his Cup Series team, Leavine Family Racing, right before the 2019 playoffs, the veteran was left without a seat for the 2020 season. But back then, the bigger concern was finishing his stint with Leavine Strong, owing to the lack of funding. If DiBenedetto wanted to show sponsors and teams, he still had what it takes to stay in NASCAR; he needed to make it into the playoffs.

So when the Bristol night race arrived and the crew had put together the perfect car, it seemed like poetic justice had been served to DiBenedetto’s career. After being kicked out of a team he was building because of his lackluster results, a win at Bristol to make it into the playoffs would have been a dream come true. Unfortunately, Lady Luck just didn’t favor the bold that night.

Instead, she favored Denny Hamlin. With nearly 10 laps of the race remaining, Hamlin stormed past the damaged #95 of Matt DiBenedetto to steal the win, and with it the chances of the #95 writing history. How it all ended had left DiBenedetto in tears back then. But now that he’s had time to soak it all in, there’s no animosity in sight.

Stating that it was ‘just such a crazy memory,’ DiBenedetto sat down on the Beating and Banging podcast to reveal his optimistic outlook on the entire ordeal. The former JGR Xfinity star shared, “That was so life-changing as a whole. It was funny when I heard that he (Denny Hamlin) said, ‘I’m sorry’ and I’m like, bro, we’re competitors, man. I always say I joke; I’d put my grandmother in the wall to win a race, word,’ We’d do anything to win so.”

But, Hamlin back then stated that he needed to give his ‘110’ percent for his team and sponsors, and just couldn’t have cut DiBenedetto a slack. Although one would think this would bug the former Leavine driver, that certainly wasn’t the case. DiBenedetto was well aware of what the future was, he said, “I was being replaced by Christopher Bell and they had commitments and such to him so it was nothing personal, just part of the development and how things worked out.”

It’s safe to say Denny Hamlin’s commitment to the competitive spirit meant DiBenedetto lost out on the most important win of his career. However, there was also a silver lining to this dire situation.

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He might not have won at Bristol, but he certainly won the community’s love

Matt DiBenedetto’s P2 finish at Bristol that evening may have felt like the end of the world for a while, but it turns out Lady Luck hadn’t forgotten about DiBenedetto at all. With his heroics at the night race, DiBenedetto gained newfound appreciation from NASCAR fans and veterans alike, which also reflected well on his sponsorship status. Although he didn’t have a seat for next year immediately, help from Denny Hamlin and Kevin Harvick certainly pushed things in the right direction.

DiBenedetto stated, ‘It’s crazy, though I was very disappointed, even those odd circumstances still led to some neat relationships. Great relationships in the garage with Harvick, and Denny Hamlin, guys I have tremendous respect for. It was cool to get the support of those folks and we got Zinga Poker as a sponsor. But either way, it led to some great rallying, great help behind us, great relationships in the garage.”

While winning at Bristol would have been picture-perfect for prospects, his fair play and determination against the likes of Denny Hamlin proved to have made an impact in his career to this point. That being said, do you think Matt DiBenedetto could have had a way different past few seasons if he had won that night?