“The whole thing was odd”: Denny Hamlin calls out Joey Logano’s bizarre behaviour post All-Star race

23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin called out Joey Logano's "odd" post-race interview after losing the $1 million paycheck to Christopher Bell. Hamlin was baffled by Logano's comments regarding the promoter's caution and how Bell raced him in the final laps of the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Logano was cruising to victory at North Wilkesboro when Michael Waltrip literally dropped the caution flag. The #22 Penske team chose not to pit, while Bell was the first driver on the alternative strategy with fresh tires. The #20 Joe Gibbs Racing driver outdueled the #22 Penske driver in the final laps to win the race.

In the post-race interview, Joey Logano expressed his frustration with how Christopher Bell raced him, stating that he would have immediately retaliated if he had the opportunity. Logano was also "pissed" about the promoter's caution and later suggested he would have a word with Marcus Smith.

Denny Hamlin suggested that the entire post-race interview was odd and opined that Logano probably didn't get the memo on the promoter's caution. Hamlin added that the three-time champion was trying hard not to lash out in anger while expressing his frustrations.

"That was an odd interview. I listened to it and I didn't know how to take it, because, I was listening to Joey, [he] made it sound like the #20 just wiped him out or something. He was all pissed saying, 'I would've wrecked him had I got back to him'. I was like WHAT? The whole thing was odd. I just felt like he was raging on the inside. It was odd to me," Hamlin said on Actions Detrimental. [22:25 onwards]

"Something didn't feel quite right with it, to where I felt like when I was listening to him, he was fighting himself on the inside, to not just lash out in anger. I didn't see what he was so upset about," he added. [24:50 onwards]

Denny Hamlin also gave Logano the benefit of the doubt, suggesting that the #22 Penske driver didn't have the full picture of his battle with Christopher Bell. Logano later took back his comments, acknowledging that Bell's race-winning move was warranted.

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Denny Hamlin backs Joey Logano's late race strategy

Joey Logano led a race-high 139 laps in the All-Star Race, but the promoter's caution on Lap 217 forced the team to make a crucial decision between track position and fresh tires. Denny Hamlin backed the #22 Team Penske's decision to stay out, retaining the lead.

Hamlin explained that Logano lost the race when Christopher Bell overtook three cars on the restart. He suggested that the outcome of split strategies late in the race often depends on how much ground the driver with fresh tires can gain in the opening lap.

"Truthfully, I thought it was the right call to stay out, when I saw that he had six [five] people staying out with him. So many of these restarts, results, on whether they're a success or a failure comes down to what happens in the first few corners," Hamlin said on his podcast. [25:55 onwards]

"He [Bell] got three cars in that first lap, that's when it was over. Once those fresh tires get to third place after one lap, you're cooked." [26:32 onwards]

Denny Hamlin was largely anonymous in the All-Star race and later admitted that the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing completely missed the setup. He managed to take home a 12th-place finish after running around the back of the pack.