All that a NASCAR driver wants is at least a shot at the championship. Securing it at the playoffs’ outset is the golden ticket. However, if that’s not on the cards, they must dig deep, pushing their limits race after race. Ryan Blaney exemplified this spirit, but the last three weeks painted a different story for Joe Gibbs Racing star- Denny Hamlin. This hiccup in Hamlin’s performance cost him dearly, not just against Blaney at the Martinsville race but also against William Byron, keeping him from the coveted Championship Four.

Intriguingly, despite finishing P3 and not making it to the championship four, Hamlin believed his car was second only to one at ‘The Paperclip’. Blaney’s masterful strategies and outstanding car prowess truly stole the show. However, on his podcast, rather than appreciating, Hamlin subtly hinted at Blaney’s on-track antics, igniting whispers of a brewing rivalry.

Is Denny Hamlin stoking the flames of a rivalry with Ryan Blaney?

Remember the echoes of ‘Blaney! Blaney! Blaney!’ that filled the air in May? Ryan Blaney couldn’t hold back his tears as he basked in the glory of breaking a 59-race dry spell with a triumphant win at Charlotte Motor Speedway. That euphoria, that electric moment in the victory lane, was his redemption after a winless 2022. Little did anyone know then that his Coca-Cola 600 victory was the prelude to his meteoric rise to NASCAR’s championship race.

Now, as Blaney gears up to chase his maiden Cup title after a stellar win at Martinsville Speedway, the spotlight is on him. Yet, who would’ve thought that a powerhouse like Denny Hamlin would miss the Championship 4 bus? Almost every analyst had Hamlin penciled in for the top four. But as they say, destiny has its script. It’s no secret that Blaney’s car was in top gear, a significant factor in his win. Even Hamlin acknowledged that while labeling his own car the second-best. However, with a hint of sarcasm, Denny Hamlin also opened up about Blaney’s tactful moves during the race.

Discussing their on-track duel, Hamlin remarked, “So, he was trying to keep me on the outside while I was trying to get in the hold. So, I slowed down to try to get down even more. So, I crossed over, and yeah! I nicked him because he wasn’t running straight-away speed. He slowed down to make that happen. So, I think I sit on the radio at times. Well, why would you do that? Like, you know, if he almost wrecked himself, because, of course, I would have got the brunt of the blame on that one. But it’s like, damn it.”

Hamlin continued, shedding light on what he perceived as Blaney’s strategy. He said, “He’s got the 12 by the ball. I mean the 24 by the balls points-wise, like don’t don’t do that, you don’t need to take that risk. And so, that happened in that misjudgment happened because he was trying to play some games on the backstretch, which is all good. It was fine. It worked out, for sure. But it led to some really good battles for the next few laps of us going back and forth and crossing each other over, which is certainly the most exciting part of the race that we had. […] He and his car was much better on the long run, I think; even we were probably a hair better on the short run, but not by much.”

And it seems Hamlin’s list of cheeky racetrack maneuvers isn’t just limited to Blaney. Joey Logano, too, appears to have caught Hamlin’s discerning eye.

Denny Hamlin’s memories of Logano’s racing tactics are still fresh

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While Denny Hamlin relished the adrenaline-fueled duels with Xfinity 500 champion Ryan Blaney during Sunday’s nail-biting NASCAR Cup Series cutoff race at Martinsville Speedway, his sentiments towards Joey Logano, who secured the fifth spot, were starkly different.

As per autoweek.com, reflecting on the race, Hamlin remarked, “I don’t love the way the 22 (Logano) was racing guys that had earned their position to race for a championship.” His frustration was palpable as he continued, “He’s kind of knocking guys out of the way.”

Read More: Joey Logano Lines Championship Experience Behind Ryan Blaney To Conquer Phoenix

The race took a dramatic turn when Logano’s aggressive move led to a collision with Ty Gibbs’ Toyota, causing it to spin out on the half-mile track. This domino effect caught several racers in its wake, including Brad Keselowski, Ross Chastain, Todd Gilliland, Austin Cindric, Michael McDowell, and Daniel Suarez. The aftermath? Suarez was sidelined, and Keselowski’s championship dreams were dashed.

Hamlin, with a hint of irony also added, “I think if the roles were reversed, he’d probably have a little problem with that,” reiterating the same things his fans would do to him.

Watch This Story: Blaney’s Triumph Amidst Hamlin’s Tactics