Denny Hamlin just about had Sunday’s NASCAR Cup race at Kansas in the bag. He was leading on the final lap but then made inadvertent contact with the No. 23 Toyota of Bubba Wallace, who drives for 23XI Racing, the team Hamlin co-owns with NBA legend Michael Jordan.
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Had Hamlin won, he would have advanced to the Round of 8 in the NASCAR Cup playoffs, moving one step closer to what he hopes will finally be his first-ever Cup championship.
But even with Wallace being his employee and a Toyota-powered teammate, Hamlin wouldn’t give Wallace an inch, ultimately leading to the two colliding, costing both a win—Hamlin finished second to winner Chase Elliott, and Wallace fell back to a fifth-place finish.
”Obviously, I got really close to the 23,” Hamlin said during a post-race media interview. “If I had to do it all over again, I think I’d run a little bit lower to allow a space between us so I don’t get so tight and then try to turn the wheel more.
“I got no power steering. I’m trying everything I can, and obviously, really difficult and just super disappointed that I couldn’t finish this one out.”
To both drivers’ credit, Wallace came over to Hamlin during his pit road interview, and each gave the other a quick hug. But Wallace likely felt as bad as Hamlin did, knowing that he’s 26 points below the cutoff line with the Roval race next Sunday potentially ending Wallace’s championship hopes—unless he earns a win.
A Hug Was a Touching Gesture For Both Drivers
While the hug with Wallace was a bit of consolation for Hamlin, he would obviously have felt a lot better if he had moved on to next week’s race at the Charlotte Roval with an automatic berth into the Round of 8.
Even so, Hamlin is assured to move on to the next round regardless. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran is second in the Cup standings, just six points behind series leader Kyle Larson.
“I’m going for 60 [wins],” said Hamlin, who has won a series-leading five races thus far this season. “No one will ever accuse me of laying over for anyone for a win. To win a championship, we’ve got to figure out a way to move on. And I would have loved for me and the 23 to battle it out, but obviously I couldn’t turn the car well enough that last corner and got him a great shot.”
Well, there it is, Hamlin certainly laid down the marker that he is a driver for JGR, trying to win the championship first and then co-owner of 23XI Racing second after the end of that race. Some conflicting emotions could follow him as he proceeds to digest what happened this Sunday.
