One Year After Denny Hamlin’s Brutal Ross Chastain Retaliation Backfired, the NASCAR Community Digs Up Old Wounds

NASCAR opponents Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain have been feuding with each other for over a year. Payback after payback, the on-track rivals have been treating fans to consistent wreck-out drama. The start of the feud can be traced back to the 2022 Enjoy Illinois 300, where Denny Hamlin and Ross Chastain traded paint before Hamlin’s #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota slammed sideways into the outer wall, damaging the right rear. 

The rival duo then tangoed multiple times before Denny Hamlin could finally hand payback to Ross Chastain during the 2022 Cup race at Pocono. With the 2023 Pocono 400 race right around the corner, NASCAR on NBC recently put out a video of the one-year-old Pocono feud, leading to the NASCAR community recall and digging up old wounds.

Denny Hamlin hands payback to Ross Chastain

When he was spun out into the infield by Ross Chastain during the 2022 Quaker State 400 at Atlanta, Denny Hamlin was infuriated. Swearing to get back at his rival, Hamlin’s wishes would finally come true during the 2022 M&M’s Fan Appreciation 400 Cup Series race. With 18 laps remaining of the 2022 Cup race at Pocono, Denny Hamlin was leading with Ross Chastain on the outside.

Approaching a turn, Hamlin saw an opportunity and went up high, effectively pushing Chastain’s #1 Chevy into the outside wall. Losing control, Chastain’s car veered left across the track, proceeding to crash into the inside wall. In the ensuing carnage, the front end of Kevin Harvick’s #4 car also sustained major damage. Unable to continue the race, Chastain earned a 32nd-place finish, while Denny Hamlin went on to win the race. But in a surprise turn of events, Ross Chastain had the last laugh. During the post-race inspection, officials found illegal modifications done to the #11 Toyota, leading to NASCAR stripping the win from Hamlin. After earning a disqualification, the JGR driver’s win was then handed over to Hendrick Motorsports’ Chase Elliott.

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With NASCAR on NBC posting a video of the 2022 Pocono incident on Twitter, fans quickly resorted to taking a dig at Denny Hamlin’s old wounds.

Fans dig up Denny Hamlin’s old wounds

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Responding to the video on Twitter, one fan pointed out how Denny Hamlin’s plot to wreck Chastain backfired, writing, “Karma came back to Denny after he and Kyle Busch got DQ’d”. Another fan even took a dig at Hamlin for losing his win to Chase Elliott, commenting, “Thanks for the win Denny!” Here are some comments from the fans.

“Ah yes, when Denny wrecked Ross and then still finished behind him [skull emoji]”

“And it ended up not even mattering [laughing emoji]”

“Never say “I run a clean race”?”

“Ross got the last laugh when Denny was DQ [laughing emoji]”

Read More: Determined to Get “Redemption” & Surpass Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin Could Be Chase Elliott’s Biggest Threat

What are your thoughts on the 2022 Pocono incident? Do you think we’ll get something similar this season as well?