“Surprised He Just Didn’t Wreck Him”- Controversial NASCAR Insider Tears Apart Culprit Denny Hamlin’s Attempt To Refuse Blame for Kansas Disaster

The second playoff race concluded last week, leaving only one final destination on the horizon—a trip to Bristol to wrap up the playoffs round of 16. With just three races to secure a coveted spot in the Round of 12, the stakes were sky-high, and the anticipation and adrenaline levels continued to surge as drivers battled it out at Darlington and Kansas, building up to a crescendo for the upcoming showdown at Bristol.

However, the NASCAR pundits have been hard at work dissecting the spectacle at Kansas. The recent ‘Door Bumper Clear’ podcast delved into the overtime restart shenanigans that unfolded between Kyle Larson & Denny Hamlin.

Drama at the Kansas overtime restart

During the podcast, Brett Griffin expressed his thoughts on the final restart involving the HMS & JGR duo. Griffin initially predicted, “Denny Hamlin’s going to win this race. He’s the first car, all new tires on top; the bottom’s sucked out.” However, Hamlin’s start did not go as expected, and Griffin noted that trouble was brewing. As the grid surged forward, Griffin pointed out the late block Hamlin had thrown in hopes of keeping Larsons No. 5 at bay. He stated, “I’m surprised he just didn’t wreck him because Larson did have a big run, and Denny threw a late block.”

Griffin refused to place the blame on Larson, stating, “I can’t blame Kyle Larson on Denny having a bad restart. I’m not gonna do that either. Kyle’s doing his job. If Denny’s backing up and trying to get to the guy who’s backing him up, then Denny’s breaking the rules too.”

The Kansas race spelled misfortune for the No. 11 driver as he looked like a strong contender for the win, however, things quickly fell apart with Hamlin only managing a P2 finish, a bitter pill to swallow for the Joe Gibbs garage after a promising run. Despite this setback, Griffin remained optimistic about Hamlin’s prospects, confidently adding, “And honestly, though I said Denny Hamlin’s winning, and then he didn’t win, and he finished second, and obviously he’s gonna go on to the next round, and Bristol’s a good track for them.”

Why is Denny Hamlin keeping tabs on Larson’s moves?

The discussion did not stop there as the focus again zeroed in on Hamlin’s actions with the HMS No. 5 car. He questioned why Hamlin was concerned about Larson’s actions on the track, suggesting that Hamlin should concentrate on his own strategy. He questioned, “Why does Denny even care what the 5 is doing? If Denny does his own deal and times his run right, then the 5’s irrelevant.”

Griffin responded, “Well, he knows as well as I do there’s an advantage to laying back, so you don’t want to give the guy the advantage. But on these restarts too, where does this momentum come from to get going? It comes from behind you; it comes from that push. And he knew that Larson was gonna have a push.” 

He added that while you want to beat your rivals, getting behind a slower car isn’t a viable option, “You want to beat that guy, but you are not gonna get behind a slower car. You know that Denny’s a fast car”

Read more: “They’re a Red Flag” – Another Joe Gibbs Racing Driver Gets Nod Over Denny Hamlin as Insider Dissects Their Season

Noting Larson’s recent Darlington victory, Griffin underscored his secure position in the next round of playoffs, suggesting that he wouldn’t want Hamlin to win this time. He noted, “Larson won last week; there’s no way in hell he wants Denny Hamlin to win this week. Larson really accomplished what he really wanted to accomplish; Denny didn’t win, and he didn’t get playoff points.”

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With the duo having had a tango earlier this year at Kansas itself, the rivalry is burning bright. With Bristol on the map next, do you think we have more to witness from this duo?