Chris Gabehart delivers his verdict on whether Denny Hamlin is at fault for the Kansas incident

NASCAR: Practice and Qualifying - Source: Imagn
NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin stands with his crew chief Chris Gabehart (left) during practice and qualifying for the Wurth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway - Source: Imagn

Denny Hamlin’s last-lap move at Kansas Speedway is at the center of a new video posted by SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. In the clip, Joe Gibbs Racing Competition Director Chris Gabehart broke down how the contact between Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace gave shape to the the race’s outcome and allowed Chase Elliott to take the win.

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The crash between Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace happened during the final restart in overtime at the Hollywood Casino 400. With two laps to go, Hamlin started from sixth. Wallace was leading. Hamlin made a move to pass Wallace in Turn 3, but they made contact. Both Toyotas lost speed, and that gave Chase Elliott a clear shot to pass them and win the race.

Before the contact, Denny Hamlin had led 159 laps, won both stages and had the fastest car. But he told his team earlier that he had lost power steering around Lap 214. That made it much harder to control the car in the closing laps.

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The post was uploaded on X. In the video, Gabehart said,

"I can't speak to all alliances, but I can tell you that we work very closely with 23XI and vice versa. From lap one of the season till the final lap in a season, or all laps kinda in between, it's just, it is big part of what it has been for some time and will continue to be."
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Adding, "I think it's really important, both teams having said again, yourself in your own door number and doing the things that are most important for your own door number. And then especially at the end of a race when you're racing for a win, again, the dynamic between Denny the driver and Denny the owner, 23XI, all those things."
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"I mean, we couldn't quite write this script this dramatic if we tried. I'm aware about that. But reality is, he's going to win. "
"He was going for a win and nobody can blame him for that. Certainly not me."
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Both drivers now head to Charlotte for the final race in the Round of 12. Wallace is below the cutline and needs a strong result to stay in the playoffs.


NASCAR fan calls Denny Hamlin’s move “not smart”; Hamlin defends himself

A NASCAR fan online called out Denny Hamlin for the move he made at the end of the Kansas race. The fan said Hamlin was careless and may have cost both himself and Bubba Wallace a shot at the win and the playoffs.

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The Hollywood Casino 400 took place on Sunday, September 28, at Kansas Speedway. On X, user Jett Kraus posted,

“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.”
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Denny Hamlin replied directly. He said,

“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.”

In the end, Chase Elliott got his second win of the season and secured a place in the Round of 8. Denny Hamlin finished second, and Bubba Wallace came in fifth.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua
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