Update: On Denny Hamlin’s Actions Detrimental podcast, he echoed his thoughts from Monday evening after being right hooked by Chase Elliott down the frontstretch in Monday’s Coca-Cola 600.
Hamlin admitted to squeezing Elliott off Turn 4, but left the No. 9 car a lane and hit the brakes to try and stay off of Elliott. After Elliott his the wall, Hamlin said he threw a “hissy fit.”
Past instances of Elliott throwing a “tantrum,” Hamlin said, include his dust up with Kevin Harvick at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2021 when he came over the radio and called in to help Kyle Larson get the win. Then at Auto Club Speedway last year, Larson blocked Elliott into the wall and the No. 9 car spun out soon after.
Hamlin cited the SMT data that he shared on social media as to prove the right hook was intentional. Hamlin didn’t see Elliott at the infield care center, but stated had he, he would have swung at him because of how agitated he was.
What was your initial reaction to DH's incident with Chase last night? 😳
A *NEW* Action's Detrimental with @dennyhamlin is now out 👇
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Original Post (5-29-2023): Denny Hamlin saw no difference in what Chase Elliott did to him Monday in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway than what got Bubba Wallace suspended late last season and feels the Hendrick Motorsports driver should be handed the same punishment.
Coming off Turn 4 on lap 186, Hamlin’s No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota slid up the track and made contact with Elliott’s No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Elliott hit the wall and came back left, hitting Hamlin in the right rear.
…
“He shouldn’t be racing. It was a tantrum.” [said Hamlin]
— Racer —
AND: Comments from Elliott:
CHASE ELLIOTT, NO. 9 NAPA PATRIOTIC CAMARO ZL1 – Accident Quotes
“The No. 11 (Denny Hamlin) ran us up into the fence there. Once you tear the right-side off these things, it’s kind of over. I hate it – I thought our No. 9 NAPA Chevy was getting better. It was nice to be making some gains there throughout the race. Our pit stops were really good. We had some pretty good fortune to get up towards the front there. It was just trying to get to mile 600 and have a shot, so unfortunately failed to do that again.”
Denny (Hamlin) said there was some retaliation there. Was there any retaliation on your part?
“No, like I said, once you hit the wall in these things, you can’t drive them anymore. So no, just unfortunate circumstances.”
— Team Chevy —
AND: Hamlin shared SMT data on twitter that appears to show that Elliott intentionally turned the car to the left.
Removing all doubt. His steering came back to the exact same position it had previously after we came off the wall.
The higher the line on steering the further LEFT it’s going. pic.twitter.com/DKo7mrLz28— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) May 29, 2023