Denny Hamlin rejected the idea that he purposely fenced Bubba Wallace and was careless during NASCAR Overtime at Kansas that saw Hamlin and Wallace make contact with each other and send Wallace into the wall and allow Chase Elliott to pass both of them and claim the win.
On the final lap of NASCAR Overtime, Hamlin dove to the inside of Wallace heading into turn 3. Wallace then came down the track and made contact with Hamlin that slowed both of them down. After the contact from Wallace, Hamlin, who was suffering a power steering issue, then appeared to push Wallace up the track and into the wall. While they were racing each other, Chase Elliott made his way around both Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe and got to the inside of Hamlin. When Hamlin came down the track in an attempt to stop Elliott he bounced off him and back up the track and Elliott was able to win the drag race back to the checkered flag.
A FINISH YOU’VE GOT TO SEE TO BELIEVE!!! @chaseelliott wins a #NASCARPlayoffs classic!!! pic.twitter.com/A6WQS3akYj
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 28, 2025
Following the race, Hamlin reacted to the finish, “Super disappointing, obviously. I wanted it bad. It would have been 60 for me. The team just did an amazing job with the car. Just really, really fast. Gave me everything I needed. Got the restart I needed. Just couldn’t finish it there on the last corner. Obviously, got really, really tight with the 23 and I just got real tight and we let the 9 win.”
“Just wanted it … a little too hard.” pic.twitter.com/0L22YG18N4
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) September 28, 2025
He also responded to a post on X by user Jett Kraus. Kraus wrote, “I know a lot will bring up on how Bubba and Bell raced and how Denny raced Bubba are the same and while I understand that, I think what Denny did was more careless. With no power steering I feel like Denny drove it in with the mindset of “if he’s in the wall so be it”. Not only did he take himself out, he took out his driver and possibly a shot at any 23XI driver in the R8 and gave the win to a Chevy. Not smart.”
Hamlin responded, “Give me a break. I was off the gas and on the brakes 100yds before the 23 let off. I was turning as hard as I could given the aero situation. 11 team deserved that race. It didn’t work out.”
Give me a break. I was off the gas and on the brakes 100yds before the 23 let off. I was turning as hard as I could given the aero situation. 11 team deserved that race. It didn’t work out. https://t.co/oVq3hsI346
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) September 29, 2025
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