mobile app bar

What Happened Between Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick After the Race at the ROVAL?

Neha Dwivedi
Published

What Happened Between Denny Hamlin and Tyler Reddick After the Race at the ROVAL?

Denny Hamlin displays two distinct personas in NASCAR, one of the Cup Series team owners and another where he is a driver. The Virginia native also discusses the dichotomy frequently on his podcast as well.

At the Charlotte Roval, the spectators witnessed both sides of the #11 driver. After an on-track clash with the #45 car driven by Tyler Reddick, the JGR driver was later seen congratulating his 23XI racing employee for advancing into the Round of 8 despite their earlier run-in.

During the 2024 Bank of America ROVAL 400, on Lap 31, Hamlin who was in 23rd place was holding his line when Reddick, struggling to control his vehicle, veered inside in an attempt to pass Martin Truex Jr.

The maneuver led to Reddick’s #45 forcefully colliding with Hamlin’s #11 in turn 7, which then caused Hamlin to make contact with Chase Briscoe.

Meanwhile, at the front of the pack on the same turn, Austin Dillon spun out from 12th after a nudge from Alex Bowman.
When Reddick pulled into pit road, he discovered that the contact had bent a toe link on his car.

Despite the setback, he managed to cross the finish line in P11 place, while Hamlin ended up in P14.

Reflecting on the mishap in a post-race interview, Hamlin remarked, “It hurt their car. Knocked something out of alignment in the rear. My steering wheel went from being straight to at three o’clock. So, certainly had a detrimental…outcome come to my car. But certainly Chriss [Gabehart] does a great job with his adjustments to… compensate for the handling, that bent toe link did. So just Great job by the team, we survived.”

Yet, embracing his role as a team leader, after learning that Reddick had secured a spot in the Round of 8, Hamlin was seen congratulating and hugging his 23XI Racing #45 driver, alongside Michael Jordan, on pit road.

It marks the second consecutive year Reddick has reached the playoffs. Last year, on the same track, the #45 clinched a fifth-place finish to push himself into the Round of 8 for the first time in his Cup Series career.

Reddick describes car damage after contact with Hamlin

During a post-race interview, reflecting on the Stage 2 skirmish, the #45 driver said his car was “absolutely destroyed” following the run-in with Hamlin. He praised his 23XI pit crew for their adept adjustments.

He shared, “Yeah, I thought I was gonna flip. But I think I was behind the #19 just trying to move into the inside. And I got clear of him and then #3 spun and everybody on the blinders coming to a stop. And of course while that happens, me and my boss get together. It felt like I am going to do a front flip. I mean this thing was absolutely destroyed. Just real hats off to everybody on this Monster Energy Camry.”

With a haul of 45 points from the race, Reddick advanced to the Round of 8, currently positioned third behind Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell. It remains to be seen how deep can he last during the remainder of the postseason.

Post Edited By:Rahul Ahluwalia

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi

x-iconfacebook-iconinstagram-iconlinkedin-icon

Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 1750 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

Share this article