Denny Hamlin Confesses a ‘Clear Misjudgement’ Against Kyle Larson Despite Being Slid by the HMS Star
Lady Luck did not want to favor rivals Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin in Iowa. And their below-average performance is just the tip of the iceberg. As it turned out, the Cup Series’ first ‘major crash’ at the Newton track belonged to the top two points leaders heading into the Iowa Corn 350 weekend.
Nonetheless, as they leave the Hawkeye State, Hamlin and Larson appear to have moved on from their problems, having overcome more than just a rough patch and a few damaged egos. True champions recover regardless of how many times they tango on any one day. However, the duo may have raised some concerns about foul play after a couple scuffles in Stage 2, prior to the huge one with Daniel Suarez in Stage 3. On the most recent episode of his podcast, Actions Detrimental, Denny cleared up any rumors of a ‘dirty rivalry’ with Kyle Larson.
Denny Hamlin explains bumping Kyle Larson on stage one.
To get background, let’s go back a few laps before Daniel Hemric blew a tire in Stage 2, resulting in the fifth accident caution for an on-track collision. Denny Hamlin collided with Kyle Larson’s race-leading #5 Chevy after running a lap down early in the race due to tire issues. It was an accident that was barely “intentional,” as Hamlin explained to his co-host Jared Allen.
Allen brought the question to Hamlin, referencing the buzz on social media over the seemingly unnecessary incident, stating, “You were running behind him for a bit in this race you were a lap down um and moved him out of the groove and that kind of took over social media for a moment there during the race. Was that intentional/unintentional?” Hamlin, emphasizing his car “was a lap slower than his (Larson’s)” told his podcast partner of his unfortunate misjudgment, “No, it was unintentional. I clearly misjudged the center roll speed of my car and his combined…”
To gain context let’s rewind a few laps before Daniel Hemric blew his tire in Stage 2 to bring out the 5th accident caution for an on-track incident. After facing problems with his tire setup early to go a lap down for most of the race, Denny Hamlin ran into the rear bumper of Kyle Larson’s race-leading #5 Chevy. It was only an accident and was barely “intentional,” as Hamlin explained to his co-host Jared Allen.
Allen brought the question to Hamlin, referencing the buzz on social media over the seemingly unnecessary incident, stating, “You were running behind him for a bit in this race you were a lap down um and moved him out of the groove and that kind of took over social media for a moment there during the race. Was that intentional/unintentional?” Hamlin, emphasizing his car “was a lap slower than his (Larson’s)” told his podcast partner of his unfortunate misjudgment, “No, it was unintentional. I clearly misjudged the center roll speed of my car and his combined…”
As most must know by now, the second last yellow of the Iowa Corn 350 was waved on Lap 221 for a wreck right before the start-finish line involving the cars of Trackhouse Racing’s Daniel Suarez, Larson, and Hamlin. In the replays, it was clear that Larson clipped his left rear on the #99’s right fender, which converged his car into Hamlin’s #11 Toyota, slamming both into the wall. Hamlin recovered from the impact to pit multiple times after the incident and finished P24, but Larson’s Chevy wouldn’t be the same. He would finish his race in P34 above the only two DNFs (Kyle Busch and AJ Allmendinger) out of a 36-car field.
Nevermind, the #5 had a bright spot in Stage 2 after winning the cycle, leading Hamlin, who surprisingly secured a few playoff points with a P6. Their average showcases in Iowa opened the door for Chase Elliott to take the lead in the regular season championship standings by eight points. This will be the first time since the 2022 playoffs that Hendrick Motorsports’ #9 driver has led the points table. Eager to shed a sorry narrative latched on the back of a tumultuous 2023 season, could these be signs of a Chase Elliott resurgence? It seems the early season dominance of Kyle Larson & Denny Hamlin in the points standings is finally facing some competition.
Moreover, with Ryan Blaney’s win at Iowa, only six spots remain for drivers in the playoffs bubble to claim as their own. Elliott, Hamlin & Larson are already ready to battle it out in the post-season. But will some notable names like Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, or even Bubba Wallace miss out on a chance for ultimate NASCAR glory in 2024? We must first uncover the next riddle of the NASCAR season on June 23rd.
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