Last week at Martinsville Speedway, William Byron found himself under the protection of Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon, who neither overtook the #24 car nor allowed anyone from behind to do so. Likewise, during the last lap, Bubba Wallace at P18, ahead of Christopher Bell, decelerated by at least 2.4 seconds.
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Wallace’s move gave Bell the chance to overcome his 1-point deficit and secure a spot in the Championship 4. Eventually, Bell made his move, skirting close to the wall to pass the #23, which briefly thrust him into the final four. Although it seemed apparent that the 23XI Racing Toyota driver had assisted Bell, Denny Hamlin refuted such claims, stating:
“The only thing I can tell you for a fact because I am part of the Toyota Racing is Toyota Racing never not once this week told 23XI to do anything for JGR. They were not involved whatsoever. I’ve never been part of a conversation saying if this happens then you have to do this.”
He explained that even on superspeedways, Toyota leaves it to the teams and drivers to sort things out on their own. The manufacturer promises to equip the teams with all they need and hopes the Toyota teams will collaborate. However, according to Hamlin, Toyota has never imposed specific rules or directives about how they should operate.
Yet, fans seem skeptical of the rationale offered by the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver. One fan remarked, “That is also what I would say in the midst of this controversy,” while another questioned, “So Bubba was just being kind to the 20? Please.”
One fan criticized Hamlin’s neutral stance, commenting, “Of course he’d say that. You think he’d say ‘oh we’re always going to help other Toyota teams’ “ Another fan bluntly accused him of falsehood, “@dennyhamlin lying again.”
Hear it from DH himself, Toyota does not have "rules" about helping their manufacturer teammates. 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/lnMpQKA3EO
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) November 4, 2024
What happened during the final stages of the Xfinity 500 race?
Wallace was caught on his radio exclaiming, “God forbid if we don’t help a f****** JGR car.” His statement seemingly prompted his crew chief Bootie Barker to instruct Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, to keep Wallace informed about the #20’s position on the track, urging the #23 to tuck in behind Bell.
With only 10 laps remaining, the 23XI Racing team, including the crew chief and spotter, regularly updated Wallace about Bell’s position and the points at stake. Then, with just five laps left, heading into Turn 3, Wallace reported a potential tire issue, which saw him veer out of the racing line.
Wallace‘s lap times suddenly dropped, running a full second slower than the lap before. He managed to recover about half a second the next lap, but then his speed dropped again. As the #20 started to close in, gaining roughly a second per lap, Wallace struggled, his car kicking up into the marbles and his pace becoming increasingly erratic.
As the race drew to a close with the white flag waving, Wallace even found himself sandwiched in a three-wide squeeze involving Byron, Chastain, and Dillon.
Eventually, Wallace slowed sufficiently for the #20 JGR driver to catch up just as they roared into the final corner of the last lap. Bell made a deep charge into Turn 3 and surged past Wallace. But as he did, he clipped the wall and then rode it through the corner straight to the finish line.
