All drivers in NASCAR have one goal—winning the championship. And at the top of the race are Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson from the top teams at NASCAR. As such, competition is unavoidable, and as they are always ahead of the rest, racing hard and butting heads is unavoidable. Whether on purpose or by mistake, Hamlin and Larson have been having such incidents on track more recently. 

And hence the burning questions have started—is there a possible rivalry brewing between the two? As such, only an insider could tell if there is truth to that possibility. Recently, Hamlin’s employee at 23XI, Freddie Kraft, shared his thoughts on whether there is any truth to this emerging rivalry.

Freddie Kraft reveals the truth behind NASCAR’s top contender’s rivalry rumors

He said in the recent podcast that the tensions have not heightened to the point of rivalry. He said at Door Bumper Clear, “I don’t think it’s a rivalry. But these just happen to be probably the two Championship favorites. […] And they’re also very good at putting you in a bad position. So, when they do it to each other, it’s Frick and Frack, they’re, they’re going at it. They’re going to race each other hard, they’re always going to race each other hard and then they’re both going to be annoyed by it so I don’t think either one of them’s 100% guilty. And I don’t think either one of them’s a hundred percent idiot. It might be a hundred percent idiots. I don’t know. But innocent. “

The rumors of a possible rivalry all started after the New Hampshire race. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson were racing hard for the second spot, and as they rounded up at the fourth turn, they went wheel to wheel and gave everyone a battle worth watching. Denny Hamlin fought hard, and as such, he did get into heavy contact with Larson—anything for the win, right? But Larson’s spotter, Tyler Monn, did not appreciate this move, and he didn’t hesitate to express it. He told Larson that he gets pushed by Hamlin because he lets him do that!

Kyle Larson seems to have taken it to heart because this time he retaliated in Nashville. At the end of stage 2, Larson saw a window to retaliate, and he shoved Denny Hamlin’s car up the track. And the No. 14 car was ready to give it back, but his crew chief advised against it. 

Kraft just indicated that it’s just that they are both top contenders for the championship, racing hard. And given the intensity of the race, sometimes getting on each other’s skin is inevitable. But Hamlin and Larson, on the other hand, paint a very different picture, and some might say their statements hint at a deeper issue.

Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson hint at brewing rivalry amid recent on-track tensions

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While the 23XI employee might have said all is well, Hamlin seems to indicate otherwise. And he is not someone to mince his words or play it diplomatically, so the statement coming from him says a lot. Hamlin said in the recent episode of Actions Detrimental, “I’m in this for the long haul. I’m fine with the way we’re racing. And… It’s going to keep going and it’s going to keep getting raised. […] Sure, if you want to call it [a rivalry].” Previously, he had always claimed that there was nothing to it, so this sudden shift in attitude suggests that something might be brewing.

Moreover, Larson’s actions in pushing Hamlin at Nashville just speak a lot about the dynamics between them. And what’s even more incriminating is the post-race interview where Larson seemed to have hinted all was not right between them—in fact, he even demanded something of Hamlin. Larson, at the post-race interview, said, “I wouldn’t agree or disagree [about having an ongoing rivalry]. It comes and goes. I feel like we race well together at times, and then there’re times when I feel like he races me, not the fairest. I’m sure he feels the same way. So, yeah. It’s not an ongoing rivalry. Hopefully, we can move on from it soon and get a little bit of respect from him.”

Well, they both have been butting heads consecutively for two races now, so it remains to see if this trend will continue yet again. Next, they meet at the much-awaited Chicago Street Course. Last year, Larson went from seven to finish fourth, and Hamlin dropped from pole to eleventh, so it’d be intriguing to see how they respond to each other on the track and who can best answer back with a strong performance.

What do you think—who will get a better standing between them both in Chicago? Let us know!