Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke about the ongoing tension between Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson. While Hamlin’s spotter Freddie Kraft downplayed the idea of a “rivalry,” Earnhardt Jr. believes there is a rivalry going on between the two drivers. The feud between Hamlin and Larson is nothing new. They have had several altercations in the past. The clash was especially publicized last year during a race at Pocono when Hamlin pushed Larson against the wall, causing the No. 5 car to crash into the outside fence. They have since repaired their relationship by talking to each other off the track. This year, excitement was on the rise again at the USA Today 301 in New Hampshire, as Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson battled for second place. As they rounded the fourth corner, they went wheel-to-wheel and pushed each other, resulting in a thrilling side-by-side battle with 94 laps to go.
After struggling to pass, Hamlin increased his effort the next lap and eventually took second place, but not without some heavy contact. But the drama escalated even further last week at the Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway. Larson seized an opportunity for revenge in the final moments of the second stage, steering Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota onto the track. While some NASCAR commentators have dismissed the idea of a rivalry developing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. sees it differently. In an interview with Dirty Mo Media, Dale Jr. admitted that he believes there is definitely a rivalry between Hamlin and Larson.
Hamlin and Larson were arguing on Denny’s show about whether it was a rivalry or not. This debate has been going on for two weeks now. Last week Denny said it’s not a rivalry. “He blurted it out this week and he said yes. So I think it’s a rivalry. I think it’s been a rivalry ever since I got back to Pocono and saw Larson and opened up the fence,” Dale Earnhardt Jr. said via Dirty Mo Media.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. justifies Kyle Larson’s outburst in New Hampshire
In New Hampshire, Denny Hamlin’s maneuver to pass Kyle Larson for second position resulted in heavy contact, leading to some back and forth between Kyle Larson and his spotter, Tyler Monn. Monn pointed out on the radio that Larson’s passive approach allowed Hamlin to dominate, to which Larson responded:”Shut up.”Dale Earnhardt Jr. later discussed the incident on his podcast, discussing the delicate balance a spotter must maintain with his driver. He observed:”He [Kyle Larson] isn’t overly aggressive if you push him a little. He doesn’t get too crazy, he just runs. I think they’re trying to tell him, ‘Look man, don’t let this happen. ‘ ‘, and he doesn’t want to hear it come on. his guys. So he blurted out and finally fired back, making it pretty clear that this kind of information from his observer is not something he wants to hear any time in the future.
As the series heads to the Chicago street course next, where, Larson advanced from seventh to finish fourth last year and Hamlin fell from pole position to eleventh, it will be intriguing to see how these two competitors fare on the track.
