Following the NASCAR Cup Series race at Nashville on Sunday there was some tension between Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace. Hamlin is the owner of 23XI Racing, the team Wallace drives for, and at one point during the race, the #23 made intentional contact with the #11.
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As per Brad Keselowski’s spotter TJ Majors, Hamlin blocked Bubba Wallace in the early stages of the race. This move might have compromised Wallace’s chances of running higher up the pack at that point. He spoke about the incident on a recent episode of the Door Bumper Clear podcast. “I mean Denny threw a big block on Bubba and I think it probably cost Bubba,” he said.
Does Carson Hocevar get penalized for turning Harrison Burton? 7️⃣7️⃣ pic.twitter.com/3MfZhZ8NmE
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) July 2, 2024
A video released by NASCAR, shot from Joey Logano’s dashboard showed the #23 nudge the #11. It was not a good moment for Hamlin who then received an angry reaction from Logano as well. As per the #22 driver, the 43-year-old had driven into the back of his car. That happened due to further contact between Hamlin and Kyle Larson which made the former lose control. Logano was not buying any of that though at the time.
The driver of the No. 22 was not happy with @dennyhamlin. 😳 pic.twitter.com/ircJoRnY46
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 30, 2024
Wallace has been known to be aggressive and unapologetic in the past. Boss or not, the 30-year-old made sure that Hamlin knew what he thought of his reported blocking maneuver.
Fans question Bubba Wallace as he nudges boss Denny Hamlin
Wallace is yet to make the playoffs and is quite a ways below the cutline, hence it might have been a frustrating moment to see his team’s owner throw in a big block and hurt his chances of picking up points. But then again would say that it’s just hard racing.
It caught fans’ attention from the video. “The real question here is wtf is Bubba’s problem with the boss?” one user asked on social media. “Is Bubba mad at him too?” quipped another.
Regardless of what might have happened, there ought to be a discussion about the matter in the 23XI Racing garage. A problem between the owner and driver is the last thing a team needs with just a handful of races before the playoffs.
