After the disappointment in Fontana, many bosses would have been critical of Bubba Wallace. But Denny Hamlin isn’t one of them. As Max De Pree rightly said, “Leaders don’t inflict pain, they share pain.” This has been more or less the case with Hamlin when it comes to Wallace. He recently explained how the 29-year-old got involved in a mess inadvertently.
The 23XI Racing co-owner has constantly stayed beside Wallace despite criticism from elsewhere. Given his experience, Hamlin understands the on-track dynamics better than most NASCAR bosses do. This time around too, he sided with Wallace despite how ugly it turned out for him.
Bubba Wallace gets the boss’ backing
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If there’s one thing we can expect from Denny Hamlin, it is his unfiltered criticism. He was at it once again while speaking on the recent episode of his podcast, Actions Detrimental. The three-time Daytona 500 winner shared his post-race analysis on the Auto Club 400 this year, including the one involving Bubba Wallace.
Hamlin said, “I noticed after the race, there were a ton of torn-up splitters. Both the 23XI cars had splitter problems. My car had a splitter torn up. I think the further you were back in the pack, the more your front end was absolutely sandblasted. And it sandblasted the front noses so much that the splitter started to separate.”
The 42-year-old explained how the track affected Wallace too. He said, “The leading edge of it started to separate and I saw a picture of Bubba’s car where the bottom splitter had fallen down to the ground. That’s such a detrimental performance. He was running well and all suddenly just disappeared. Yeah, the track was a mess to get going, to say the least.”
While this must be relieving for Bubba Wallace, he’ll be more than glad to know Hamlin wasn’t the only one still cheering in his support.
Wallace has plenty of support coming his way
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It has been twice this season that Bubba Wallace could not finish his races. He was involved in a crash at Daytona and had an engine-overheating issue at Fontana. While he would be looking to bounce back strongly at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he must be delighted to know that he has more than Hamlin’s backing for the next race.
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Besides Hamlin, Wallace’s fans came out in his support after the Auto Club 400 race. Despite the outcome, they commended his efforts and reassured him of the faith they have in the Alabama-born driver.
Still one of my favorite cars 💜 sorry today was rough but you were doing great out there
— 👩🏾🚀Astro⁷✨ (@astro_kianna) February 27, 2023
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This would indeed have helped Wallace’s cause and bolstered his confidence. With high expectations set for him this season, Hamlin and fans would be hoping for a good return from Wallace.
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