Denny Hamlin secured a 7th-place finish at the 2024 Southern 500, an impressive result considering he started in 14th place and placed 6th and 3rd in the first two stages. As the race entered its final stretch, Hamlin was running in the top-10, but with just 26 laps remaining, a tense three-wide battle in Turn 1 triggered the second-to-last caution. This incident drastically altered the race for drivers like Bubba Wallace, Josh Berry, and Noah Gragson, who got caught up in a multi-car wreck involving several others.
Despite Wallace managing to avoid a DNF, the crash effectively ended the playoff hopes for him, Berry, and Gragson. This leaves 23XI Racing with only one car in the Round of 16 opener in Atlanta, costing the team nearly $2 million in charter payouts. Ironically, Hamlin, who avoided the wreck, might have unintentionally contributed to the outcome, although he believes Josh Berry’s aggressive driving was the true cause of the chaos.
In the days following the incident, Hamlin was still reeling from an L2 penalty that dashed his hopes for the regular season championship. With something to prove at Darlington, Hamlin was eager to rack up some playoff points. However, the race unfolded differently than expected. His #45 car clinched the regular season title, while his other car, the #23 driven by Wallace, struggled to a 16th-place finish after starting on pole and running strong in the early stages.
The turning point came on Lap 345 of 367 when Josh Berry, in a daring move, attempted to secure a top-5 spot by going three-wide into Turn 1. Berry’s #4 car was sandwiched between Ty Gibbs’ #54 on the outside and Hamlin’s #11 on the inside—a scenario that has historically led to trouble at Darlington. As the three cars entered the corner, contact occurred. Berry lost control, sliding up the track into Gibbs’ car. Wallace, who was trailing William Byron’s #24 on the outside, had no time to react when Berry’s car came to a stop. Byron collided with Berry’s car, leaving Wallace with nowhere to go, ultimately getting tangled up and hit from behind by Gragson.
While Gragson, Berry, and Byron were forced to retire early, Wallace managed to continue, though a 16th-place finish was the best he could muster. Despite the disappointing result, team co-owner Michael Jordan expressed satisfaction with his drivers’ efforts. However, Hamlin’s involvement in the wreck led to some pointed questions on the Sept 2 episode of his podcast, *Actions Detrimental*. Co-host Jared Allen asked Hamlin directly if he caused the wreck. Hamlin responded confidently, saying, “I don’t know about that.”
Hamlin explained his perspective, noting that he had positioned himself underneath Gibbs in Turns 3 and 4 before the incident. He recalled seeing an interview where Gibbs expressed frustration, noting that they nearly got wrecked in one part of the track before ultimately getting caught up in the big one. According to Hamlin, Gibbs might not have realized they were three-wide.
Hamlin detailed the sequence of events, describing how he tried to avoid any involvement by hitting the brakes and backing out of the situation. However, Berry made a move through the middle, putting them three-wide as Hamlin hugged the apron. Hamlin wasn’t sure if there was contact, but he noted that Berry slid up the track, triggering the crash. “Three-wide, entering turn one at Darlington? Good luck,” Hamlin remarked, underscoring the difficulty of the situation.
Hamlin also pointed out that Berry had made a similar mistake earlier in the race, pushing Christopher Bell into the wall during a battle in the third row, about ten laps after a Stage 3 restart. Bell, however, recovered to finish third.
Looking ahead, Hamlin acknowledged that the incident was far from ideal but expressed relief that Gibbs still made it through to the next round. When pressed further by Allen, Hamlin maintained that there simply wasn’t enough room for all three cars in that corner, and that Berry’s move set the stage for the wreck.
Gibbs was understandably upset after the race, feeling that he could have avoided the situation but noting that things got “random, really… dirty right there.” Despite the frustrations, both Gibbs and Hamlin now have a clear path to contend for the 2024 Cup Series championship alongside 14 other drivers.
Josh Berry, on the other hand, was left reflecting on what could have been. After the race, he lamented the unfortunate end to what had been a promising day for his team. Berry expressed frustration, feeling that his team deserved a better outcome but remained determined to chase a win over the next 10 weeks. Starting in 2025, Berry will drive the Wood Brothers’ #21 Ford, while his current teammate, Chase Briscoe, will take over the #19 car at Joe Gibbs Racing, replacing Martin Truex Jr. With a long season ahead, only time will tell how these developments will impact the championship battle.
“Denny Hamlin Drops 5-Word Warning on Josh Berry, Blames Him for causing ‘Big one’ at Darlington
