“Not his fault we can’t execute”: Denny Hamlin comes clean on Kyle Larson’s Kansas domination

Denny Hamlin chose not to blame Kyle Larson after the Hendrick Motorsports driver's dominant NASCAR Cup win, leading 221 of 267 laps at Kansas Speedway last Sunday.

Fans and analysts debated whether the race was exciting, but Joe Gibbs Racing's Hamlin gave credit where it's due while discussing the race on his 'Actions Deterimental' podcast.

"That's not Larson's fault. It's all of our faults. It really is it every contender that was even close. I don't know what else to say about it. It's just you know, it's not his fault that we all can't execute," Denny Hamlin said.

Kyle Larson, who started the AdventHealth 400 from the pole, won all three stages and scored a race-high of 61 points. His No. 5 Chevy briefly lost the lead to Chase Elliott during the final laps, but a pit stop mistake by Elliott’s team let Larson regain the lead.

Late in the race, Larson also started to struggle due to worn right-side tires. However, the late cautions helped them save fuel and reduce tire wear. He finished 0.712 seconds ahead of Christopher Bell and also moved to lead the NASCAR Cup points standings, taking teammate William Byron's place.

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"Stats are showing a more dominant race" - Denny Hamlin on Kyle Larson's Kansas performance

Denny Hamlin shared another interesting take on Kyle Larson's race at Kansas. According to him, Larson dominated the race on paper but the numbers looked more one-sided than it actually was on track.

Hamlin noted that Larson did not appear unbeatable and that his speed was less impressive compared to previous seasons.

"He’s doing a really good job at qualifying, executing, not making mistakes, and not putting himself in the middle of the pack...I haven’t seen the speed that I’ve seen from him before… even with no clutch I was confident that, you know, I could get him," Denny Hamlin said in the aforementioned video.

"You got to give them their due right? They're doing everything, right? And they're they're fast. I don't think there's anyone faster in the field but I just don't I think the stats are showing a more dominant race than what it actually was, if that makes any sense at all," he added.

Meanwhile, Hamlin suffered another mechanical issue at Kansas and a second consecutive DNF after Texas Motor Speedway. The No. 11 Toyota had clutch problems all race and needed help restarting in the pits. Late in the race, his car stopped completely and was pushed away. He finished 36th after running third.

The Cup Series will move to North Wilkesboro Speedway for the annual exhibition event, the NASCAR All-Star Race at 8 pm, Sunday, May 18.