NASCAR fans go wild as major Denny Hamlin-Kyle Busch announcement surfaces after Kansas race

NASCAR fans were stoked after a big announcement involving Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch surfaced following the Cup Series race at the Kansas Speedway on Sunday, May 11. Dirty Mo Media, the company owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., revealed that Kyle Busch will be the guest on the next episode of Hamlin’s Actions Detrimental podcast.

The surprise news came just hours after both drivers had disappointing results in the AdventHealth 400. Denny Hamlin retired early after a drivetrain issue left his No. 11 Progressive Toyota stuck on pit road during the final green-flag pit cycle.His crew pushed the car to the garage, and Hamlin didn't return to the track.

Busch, meanwhile, had problems of his own, as he spun around in the final stage on lap 207. He didn't sustain any damage but was caught by the grass and eventually finished 21st, one lap behind the leader.

Despite the struggles on the track, the podcast news gave fans something to look forward to. Dirty Mo Media posted the teaser on X, with a short message:

“Tomorrow. 📅 Kyle Busch. 8⃣ Actions Detrimental. 🎙️ That's it, that's the tweet.”

The post drew many comments as fans shared their excitement and speculated about what Busch and Hamlin could talk about.

"Please let it be unedited!" one said, hoping to catch all the drama from the show.

"Hopefully, they don’t back down and expose how trash the Next Gen is," another wrote.

Some took it a step further, wondering if it might be the moment Kyle Busch announces a major team change.

"Oh man @KyleBusch to @23XIRacing next year announcement. ... Here it comes."

"Long shot, especially this early in the season," one fan responded. "And no @Jordan_Bianchi💣 to hint at it - but I would love for this to be a Rowdy to 23XI in 2026 announcement. I like the number 67, and think it would give KB and 23XI a great (chance) at winning races and a championship."

Another fan was onboard with the idea, suggesting:

"Whatever it takes to get KB as far away from RCR and General Motors is fine by me."

"Podcast of the year incoming. 💪🏽💪🏽," one fan shared.

"Please ask him how long does Rowdy Nation have to wait to find out where he's driving next year. We can't take many more shitty cars from RCR. We go where KFB goes," another wrote.

A P36 finish at Kansas dropped Denny Hamlin down by four places in the Cup Series drivers' standings to seventh with 346 points.

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Denny Hamlin's first back-to-back DNFs in 12 years

Denny Hamlin is facing his first streak of back-to-back DNFs in over a decade. For the second straight week, Hamlin left the race early due to a mechanical failure. He was forced out at Texas Motor Speedway last weekend when the engine in his No. 11 Toyota caught fire. In Kansas, it was a clutch issue that ended his day.

Hamlin needed help from his crew every time he came to the pit road. The car didn't move on its own and had to be push-started. His final pit stop came on lap 198, which is when the car finally gave out.

These are Hamlin’s first back-to-back DNFs since 2013, when he crashed out at Kentucky and Daytona. The big difference this time is that the DNFs at Kansas nor Texas didn't involve a wreck, as both were caused by parts failures. Before these two results, Denny Hamlin had finished 21 races in a row on the lead lap.

After the race, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said:

"Yeah, I think eventually just broke the transaxle trying to leave the stall there. Unfortunate for the Progressive Toyota team. Really fast again – just can’t keep it together right now," Hamlin said (via Motorsport.com).

Denny Hamlin will now try his luck at winning a million dollars in prize money at the All-Star weekend on Sunday, May 18. The 250-lap main event at the North Wilkesboro Speedway starts at 8 pm ET.