Bubba Wallace’s spotter claims Chase Briscoe “was a lot nicer” than Denny Hamlin would have been if the ‘roles were reversed’

Denny Hamlin secured his fourth NASCAR Cup win this season last Sunday (July 20) but Chase Briscoe had an opportunity to steal the victory from his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate. However, according to Wallace's spotter, Freddie Kraft, Briscoe showed an unexpected restraint that might not have been afforded if the roles were reversed.

During the latest episode of the Door, Bumper, Clear podcast, Kraft pointed to the restart when Briscoe had an advantage on Hamlin entering turn 3 but the former avoided pushing Hamlin where many drivers could have forced an error or wreck.

"It was a good race and I thought I thought that the 19 was a lot nicer to Denny than Denny might have been to him if the roles were reversed. He was happy," Kraft said (31:35 onwards).

Kraft also commented on the teammate's past on-track clashes, including a showdown at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Road Course in 2021. On the final overtime restart, Briscoe made contact with the back of Hamlin's No. 11 Toyota for the lead, which caused Hamlin to spin.

"But and they have history, too. They had a big deal where was that Indy where they were kind of wiping each other out all that for a couple laps there. But he had half a car on him going into three and chose not to take him way up the hill like some other guys might do. Credit to Chase for that and Danny held on there," he added.

Briscoe, who finished second at Dover, has one win so far this season. Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin won for the second consecutive year at 'The Monster Mile.'

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"I care about wins" - Denny Hamlin after consecutive Cup wins

Denny Hamlin overcame a 56-minute rain delay and two intense overtime restarts at the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 400. The 44-year-old led 67 laps and surged ahead on fresher tires during both restarts to fend off Chase Briscoe by 0.310 seconds at Dover Motor Speedway. This marked his fourth win of the season and 58th of his career.

"I care about wins. I want more trophies, more trophies, more trophies. When I'm done, I want to be in the list of that top-10 all-time winners. That will mean more than any other accomplishment," Denny Hamlin said (via ESPN).

The NASCAR Cup Series will move to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 22nd race of the season this weekend. The Brickyard 400 is scheduled to start at 2 pm ET on Sunday, July 27.

Hamlin has never won at Indianapolis despite multiple top‑five finishes, including podiums in 2008 and 2014. His last start at the 2.5 mile oval ended in a 32nd place finish after a Stage 1 win.