What would happen if two of NASCAR’s leading contenders traded blows on the track? Pure entertainment for the fans, of course! Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson have had some tense moments in the past. Whether it was at Kansas and Pocono last year or Gateway, Iowa and New Hampshire this year, the two drivers have a tendency to push each other to their limits. Such was the case at the Ally 400 when the two collided near the end of the race.
And who won the debate? Joey Logano. Kyle Larson has asked Denny Hamlin to show more respect in the future as their rivalry grows and their clashes become more frequent.
Battle of the Titans
At Nashville Superspeedway, Joey Logano won the race, but one of the biggest stories was the on-track feud between Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson. It all started when the Hendrick Motorsports driver ran over Denny Hamlin at the end of the second stage. The 43-year-old sought revenge on Denny Hamlin, but was stopped by crew chief Chris Gabehart. Larson then pushed Hamlin into turn 1 on lap 305, forcing the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to make contact with Ross Chastain.
In retaliation, Hamlin crashed into Larson, and both drivers said “an eye for an eye.” In a post-race interview with Frontstretch magazine, Kyle Larson was asked if he had a rivalry with Denny Hamlin. The 31-year-old responded: “I wouldn’t agree or disagree. It comes and goes. Sometimes I feel like we’re racing well together and other times I feel like he’s competing with me, which is not fair at all. I’m sure he feels the same way too.” It’s not an ongoing rivalry, but there are definitely weeks and periods where it builds up. Hopefully I can get over this quickly and get some respect from him.”
Denny Hamlin denies there’s a rivalry, but it’s clear there’s tension between the two drivers. Last year in Kansas, Denny Hamlin collided with Kyle Larson and won the race. A similar incident happened at Pocono last July, when Hamlin-Larson drove into the wall and then onto the track for his seventh win. The pattern continued in the Cup Series opener at Iowa earlier this season, when Hamlin-Larson’s No. 5 Chevrolet ran up the track in the second stage.
Now it was Kyle Larson’s turn, and fans could see it from afar. The 31-year-old had been feeling frustrated all year, leading to this moment. Ultimately, it was the fuel that ended Denny Hamlin’s chances of victory, even though the Joe Gibbs Racing driver led with five laps to go. Larson’s antics didn’t get him very far, either. Larson was passive-aggressive to say the least, while Hamlin is confused by the word “rival” being associated with the duo.
Denny Hamlin shares his two cents on rivalry with Kyle Larson
Despite many altercations over the years, Denny Hamlin doesn’t consider Kyle Larson a “rival.” The Joe Gibbs Racing driver is a golfing buddy of Larson’s and has offered him peace in the past to ease tensions on the track. After the Pocono incident, he gifted Larson a special pair of Jordan shoes from Michael Jordan’s prestigious golf club last year in hopes of smoothing things over. However, the gift was not well received by Larson, who said, “I appreciate the gesture, but I don’t know if it should always be that way.”
Denny Hamlin spoke about his relationship with Kyle Larson on the podcast “Actions Detrimental”: “I like Kyle, and just listening to and watching the races, we always do that for each other.” I don’t know why this is emphasized so much. Is it because we’re always at the front? Maybe that’s why. It’s racing…get over it!’ Despite an on-track scuffle at Nashville Speedway, Kyle Larson finished the race in eighth place and Denny Hamlin finished in 12th place.
As it stands, the Hendrick Motorsports driver sits first in the NASCAR Cup Series Drivers’ Championship, with Denny Hamlin in third, 43 points behind. Both drivers will be looking for their fourth win of the season next week at the Grant Park 165 on the Chicago Street Course. What do you think about the rivalry (if you can call it that) between Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin? Let us know in the comments!
