“Pop Pop’s Not Gonna Be Happy”- Denny Hamlin Shockingly Acquits Austin Dillon for Risking Tyler Reddick’s Safety

Last weekend’s race at the Pocono Raceway was one of the best NASCAR races. Looking back at the on-track incidents, there could be countless headlines and countless stories about them. Full of on-track contacts and confrontation, the race resonated with the spirit of classic 1970 NASCAR.

A majority of the NASCAR enthusiasts are still talking about the Hamlin-Larson feud and whether it will continue at Richmond. Some are talking about the late caution flag in the penultimate lap of the race. However, that is not all that happened. Amidst all this commotion, nobody can miss the spectacle that an RCR driver put up against a former teammate.

Hamlin gives a pass to the Helmet-hurler

Even celebrities are people. And anger often makes people do things that they would not have done otherwise. In a recent episode of Rubbin is Racing, NASCAR enthusiasts-cum-hosts of the show, Spider and Large talk to the winner of the race Denny Hamlin about one such incident that took place last Sunday in the heat of the moment.

On lap 106, Austin Dillon was sitting in the 11th spot when his Chevrolet made contact with Tyler Reddick’s Toyota. As a result, the former spun out, hitting his right back bumper into the wall, starting a fire in the hood. The #3 driver for Richard Childress racing finished a disappointing 34th in the race. However, things did not end there as Austin got out of his car and flung his helmet into Reddick’s Camry, which although did not hit, clearly showed Dillon’s frustration.

Back to the episode of the podcast by Barstool Sports, Large asked Denny Hamlin what he thought about Austin’s action. The number 11 driver for JGR said that the helmet bounced on the track, which is against NASCAR policies. He also reckoned that Richard Childress will not be very happy to suffer a loss of 5000 dollars on the helmet, provided that Dillon’s finish was not impressive.

“Well, listen, pop pop’s(Richard Childress) not gonna be happy about it…you know having to replace the helmet. But I’m gonna give Austin the benefit of doubt. The throw, the velocity was strong, the aim was bad because he bounced it in, it’s like bouncing in a first pitch of the game. You can’t do it right.” he explained.

Austin held the chinstrap of his helmet while flinging it, which might be a reason why he missed. Torn apart between the anger and the sense of affinity for the former teammate, he probably could not get himself to aim properly. Who knows?

Denny, however, chose to overlook this entire incident and said: “I’m gonna give Austin a pass on this because he probably hasn’t thrown a whole lot of helmets in his day, and I thought the velocity was enough to impress me.”

But what does the man himself have to say about all of this?

Helmet or a Wrecking Ball?

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After coming out of the infield Care Center, the 33-year-old told the reporters that he was mad at Reddick. He looked quite dejected as he said:

“I felt like I was holding my own. He(Reddick) was at my left rear, going in there I knew we were three wide; I think I’ve got the right to at least hold my lane I mean I got to turn at some point to get down…but Tyler drove it in there obviously, I feel like he drove it in deep enough where he had to come up the track into me…it was pretty rough hit.”

A reporter asked him, “Was the helmet throw enough or do you need to talk to Tyler?”

To which he looked squarely at the camera and admitted, “No, I just need to start wrecking some people.”

Tyler Reddick won the pole for the Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway on Saturday. This definitely gives him an advantage over all the other drivers, including Dillon himself. Now, all that is left to see is how the “wrecking some people” motive works out for Austin Dillon.

Read more: Dale Earnhardt Jr Reached Out to Austin Dillon After Being Called Out Mid-Race by the Richard Childress Racing Driver