“Had every right to be frustrated”: Dale Earnhardt Jr. addresses Denny Hamlin-Bubba Wallace Kansas controversy

Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Bubba Wallace
Denny Hamlin(L), Dale Earnhardt Jr.(C) and Bubba Wallace(R) - Sources: Getty and Imagn

Dale Earnhardt Jr. weighed in on Denny Hamlin's controversial clash with Bubba Wallace at Kansas Speedway. Earnhardt looked at Wallace's perspective and explained how 'frustrated' he must feel.

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On the final overtime restart at Kansas, Hamlin sailed it off into turn 3 and put Wallace in the fence. The Alabama native was leading at the time but couldn't recover after the incident, leaving him fifth on the running order, while Hamlin came in as runner-up.

Wallace took out his frustration over the team radio and flashed a middle finger at Hamlin soon after the race ended. Hamlin addressed the situation on his podcast and refused to apologise for his actions, but acknowledged Wallace's emotions as well.

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On the latest episode of Dale Jr. Download, Earnhardt took Wallace's side and said,

"I just hate it because Bubble was in a good spot, you know. And Bubba did everything all day long to sort of put himself in a great spot and his own team owner." [0:48 onwards]
"I think if you're Bubba, it's hard to go, 'man, I don't feel good about this and I don't want to.'....I think Bubba was very professional, did a great great job in his interview, but he had every opportunity and every right to be frustrated about that," Dale Earnhardt Jr. added.
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The previous weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Hamlin had yet another controversial shunt with his own teammate, Ty Gibbs, although it looked more deliberate than the mix-up with Wallace.


Dale Earnhardt Jr. analyses Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick's playoff chances

Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently went over Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick's playoff prospects. The two drivers are on the brink of elimination with over 20 points below the cutoff. Wallace marginally leads Reddick by three points, one of which was gained from the 273-lap event at Kansas.

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"Bubba's really kind of turned it up another notch this year. Seems like, since Indy, he's sort of switched into another gear that I've never seen him really have before. Deserves to be up there. Can do it. Should be able to do it," Dale Earnhardt Jr. said via X/DirtyMoMedia [0:20 onwards]
"Reddick worries me a little bit. I don't see the speed that I think that they're capable of," he added.
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Bubba Wallace and Tyler Reddick began among the top-4 during the overtime restart at Kansas. Reddick helped Wallace by pushing him into the lead against JGR's Christopher Bell. He tried to remain under Wallace's draft but got seperated and fell back to a seventh-place finish.

Reddick came close to a win in the playoff opener at Darlington, but couldn't overcome a rapid Chase Briscoe. It wasn't until Kansas that he could place inside the top-10.

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Edited by Vignesh Kanna
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