Denny Hamlin takes the blame for shattering Ross Chastain’s playoff chances

Denny Hamlin admitted to disrupting Ross Chastain and Joey Logano's fight for the final transfer spot at the Charlotte Roval. Chastain lost to Logano after a last-ditch effort to overtake Hamlin ended in chaos.

Hamlin began outside the top 10 for Sunday's Bank of America Roval 400. Chastain started a bit ahead at tenth, while Logano was further back in 18th. Chastain was the fastest among the trio, as he finished top-5 in both stages, despite running wide on a pit exit in Stage 2.

The final stage saw Chastain commit yet another pit stop blunder. He served a pass-through penalty after speeding on pit road. However, Logano relinquished his lead over Chastain when he pitted for fresh rubber on lap 98. On the final lap, Chastain was informed that he needed to get by Hamlin to secure a Round of 8 berth.

In a desperate attempt, Chastain bumped Hamlin over the final chicane, but ended up spinning alongside the JGR driver. This allowed Logano to pass by while Chastain reversed into the finish line.

In a post-race interview with NBC Sports, Hamlin shared that he was caught off guard by the battle behind him.

“I wasn’t aware (of the playoff situation). I definitely wish I was aware, but nobody told me. I never saw (Joey Logano) that last run, and I saw (Ross Chastain) fading, but I assumed if it was close, someone would have let me know. Obviously, I was the guy in the way," he said.

Joey Logano commented on the situation and said(via Fox Sports),

"Desperate people do desperate things. The playoffs make you question your morals plenty of times....It was his only shot to go in there and try to move Denny out of the way."

Denny Hamlin ultimately finished 23rd on the running order. He secured a Round of 8 berth by 33 points.

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Denny Hamlin shares missed opportunity amid Ross Chastain-Joey Logano battle

Denny Hamlin implied that he would've helped Ross Chastain if he'd known what was at stake. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver noted that Joey Logano is a far greater threat than Chastain when it comes to the final four.

"I would have made the best decision for me. That’s all I would have said [when asked]. On pace, the 1 [of Chastain] is faster than the 22 [of Logano]. But obviously, if it comes down to the Final Four, the 22 is probably going to have a leg up there," Denny Hamlin said via Fox Sports.

Joey Logano outlasted Ross Chastain by just four points. He now heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to kick off the semi-final round. In his last outing at the tri-oval configuration, he'd qualified on the front row but ended up with a mid-pack finish.