“Naive” Denny Hamlin Puts Forth Intent Argument to Justify His Only Choice

Once again, true to his nature, Denny Hamlin revealed his other side on the track by causing a wreck that sent Kyle Larson careening toward the outside wall with just seven laps remaining. The move faced criticism from spectators, Kyle Larson, and the Hendrick Motorsports crew alike. Nonetheless, during the post-race interview, Denny Hamlin staunchly defended himself, asserting that his car never made contact with Larson’s and that the mishap was an unfortunate error.

Now, with the incident gaining significant attention from both media outlets and the audience, who aren’t holding back their opinions on various social media platforms, Denny Hamlin has once again stepped up to defend his actions through his podcast. He shared his perspective on the Pocono accident while drawing a comparison to the Coca-Cola 600 2022 incident involving Kyle Busch.

“It’s the only shot,” says Denny Hamlin about the whole Pocono incident

NASCAR fans have noticed that Denny Hamlin always has a knack for tailoring his answers to suit the situation and effortlessly justifying his actions as right. Interestingly, even Kyle Larson, who appeared visibly infuriated during the Pocono post-race interview, echoed the same sentiment.

Critics slammed the Joe Gibbs Racing star for being self-centered and hypocritical, pointing out how he calls out incidents like Ross Chastain’s but reacts differently when he does the same. However, as the accident gained substantial attention from NASCAR fans and drivers, Hamlin stepped forward to defend his actions at the Pocono race track.

In a candid moment on his podcast, he acknowledged, “I ran up the race track and didn’t leave him a lot of options, especially in that scenario,” but emphasized that his car never made contact with Larson’s. He argued that everything that unfolded was due to him strategically taking advantage of aerodynamics.

In his own words, “Like I just said that point, we’re racing for the win, and I think that I have been very ‘naive’ at times, thinking that all this is just old-school racing; you got to be pure; the art of passing is no longer an art; people just clean each other up. I just don’t put this into that category, whatsoever. I used aero to my advantage, the same way that Kyle Larson uses aero to stay in front of me to his advantage when he’s leading. So, it is okay for this person to use Aero to his advantage but not the other car?”

Moreover, Hamlin justified his actions by explaining that racers only have one shot to make a pass at the right moment during the race. He highlighted, “The intent was to go in there, and when he fabled and shoved the racetrack, I have to clear right now. It’s the only shot. Because if we come off side by side of turn 2, and once I see that I was not going to get clear that we are going to have to race down the backstretch, it was over. He was going to pinch me off on turn 2, and the only way a pass is going to be made for the lead- someone was going to get used up or someone made a mistake. That is the only chance that a pass happens for the lead.”

Moreover, during the podcast, Jared Allen brought up the Coke 600 incident of 2022, which bore a resemblance to the Pocono incident. Nevertheless, even on that front, Denny Hamlin had his own perspective to share.

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Was the Coca-Cola 600 incident similar to Pocono Raceway 2023?

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In the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 race, Denny Hamlin secured his 48th victory, displaying enough skill to hold off his own teammate, Kyle Busch, in a thrilling double overtime finish. The race was captivating, witnessing yet another dramatic pass between the two former teammates.

During discussions about Kyle Larson’s wreck at Pocono Raceway, Jared Allen drew parallels to what happened at the 2022 Coca-Cola 600 with Kyle Busch. Hamlin said that at that time he was attempting a pass when he went near the left door of Kyle Busch’s car and executed the maneuver successfully.

According to Denny Hamlin, he was trying to employ a similar strategy with Kyle Larson at Pocono. However, due to the aerodynamics of their fast-moving cars, the latter ended up colliding with the outside barriers.

In his words, “Very similar; I didn’t think about that. So, same scenario, right? And I said after the Coke 600 2022, as is, “if there was contact, that was going to be the result.” Reflecting on the incident, he added, “I ran into a lot of them, the very very hard way. And that was a hard way as well.”

The upcoming weekend’s action at Richmond is sure to keep us on the edge of our seats as we eagerly await Denny Hamlin’s moves to secure his position on the points table. Yet, do let us know in the comments below your thoughts about Denny Hamlin’s aerodynamic justification.

Read more: “I Did Lift”: Kyle Larson Responds to Denny Hamlin’s Dismal Post-Race Justification, Reveals What Hurt Him the Most