“11 team deserved that race”: Denny Hamlin fires back at fan criticism following Kansas battle with Bubba Wallace

A NASCAR fan criticized Denny Hamlin for his performance at the Kansas Speedway race, following the Joe Gibbs Racing driver's bold attitude on the track. The Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN Bet took place at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, September 28.

Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas dominated the race from the qualifying session. Hamlin's teammate, Chase Briscoe, clinched the pole position with a best time of 29.99 seconds, reaching a top speed of 180.08 mph. Meanwhile, Hamlin was 0.10 seconds behind Briscoe with a best lap time of 30.09 seconds and a top speed of 179.47 mph.

Following a good start, Denny Hamlin dominated the race, leading 159 laps in the 273-lap race. The #11 Toyota Camry XSE driver also won both stages of the Kansas Speedway race. But things changed during the final restart of the race. Hamlin went all out and charged to the back of Bubba Wallace, who was leading the race. While entering turn three, both Toyotas made contact and lost their momentum, giving Elliott a chance to take the lead.

Reflecting on the incident, the fan criticized the #11 JGR driver's move, saying:

"I know a lot will bring up on how Bubba and Bell raced and how Denny raced Bubba are the same and while I understand that, I think what Denny did was more careless. With no power steering I feel like Denny drove it in with the mindset of “if he’s in the wall so be it”. Not only did he take himself out, he took out his driver and possibly a shot at any 23XI driver in the R8 and gave the win to a Chevy. Not smart."

Jett Kraus

@JettMDK

I know a lot will bring up on how Bubba and Bell raced and how Denny raced Bubba are the same and while I understand that, I think what Denny did was more careless. With no power steering I feel like Denny drove it in with the mindset of “if he’s in the wall so be it”. Not only

However, the NASCAR veteran had a reply ready for the fan and stated:

"Give me a break. I was off the gas and on the brakes 100yds before the 23 let off. I was turning as hard as I could given the aero situation. 11 team deserved that race. It didn’t work out."

Denny Hamlin

@dennyhamlin

Give me a break. I was off the gas and on the brakes 100yds before the 23 let off. I was turning as hard as I could given the aero situation. 11 team deserved that race. It didn’t work out.

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott secured his second win of the season at Kansas Speedway and locked his spot in the Round of Eight. Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin wrapped up the 273-lap race as the runner-up, and Wallace ended in P5.

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“Not even my concern”: Denny Hamlin shared his thoughts on the Bristol Motor Speedway penalty

NASCAR issued a penalty to the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing team and Denny Hamlin during the Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway. While Hamlin got penalized, his teammate, Christopher Bell, won the event, securing his spot in the Round of 12.

The #11 Toyota Camry XSE driver qualified among the top ten drivers on the grid and began the 500-lap race from sixth place. He achieved a best lap time of 15.19 seconds, reaching a top speed of 126.31 mph. However, on lap 384 of the 500-lap race, things went south for the JGR driver.

Denny Hamlin made contact with the pole sitter, Kaulig Racing driver AJ Allmendinger, and his front right tire went loose. Following that, NASCAR slammed the #11 team with a two-lap penalty and suspended two crew members for the next two races.

Reflecting on the same, the oldest driver on the grid claimed not to be bothered by the things he has no control over and said:

"I have no idea who's sitting on the bench or who's ready, and it's not even my concern...cuz that's the crew chief. He manages the people. Um, there's nothing I can do about it. You know what I mean? My concern needs to be on the things that I can control."

Currently, Denny Hamlin sits fourth in the Cup Series playoff points table with 48 points above the cutoff line. He has secured 3118 points, five wins, 13 top-fives, 16 top-10s, and three pole positions in 30 starts this season.