A Dramatic Clash: Denny Hamlin and Danica Patrick’s Daytona Duel
Flashback to the thrilling 2015 Budweiser Duel races at Daytona International Speedway, where tensions soared and tempers flared. During the 150-mile qualifying race, NASCAR star Denny Hamlin found himself in hot water after a dramatic incident with trailblazing driver Danica Patrick. With just three laps left and Patrick running strong in 8th place, Hamlin’s aggressive moves sent shockwaves through the track.
As the race intensified, Hamlin’s Toyota nudged Patrick’s car not once but twice. The resulting contact forced Patrick into a collision with fellow drivers Brian Scott and Bobby Labonte, ultimately spinning her out and ruining her chances of a top-15 finish. Furious and frustrated, Patrick stormed up to Hamlin after the race, grabbing him by the collar and demanding an explanation.
“What were you thinking?” Patrick exclaimed, her voice brimming with anger. “Seriously! You pulled the same stunt in practice… the exact same thing! You hit my left rear, and it spun me out.”
Hamlin, a three-time Daytona 500 champion, tried to defend himself. “Listen, no one had your back like I did,” he replied, attempting to calm the situation.
Patrick, still seething, shot back, “Denny, I thought I could count on you. But you left me hanging. You spun me around!”
Hamlin shrugged off her accusations, saying, “I get it… you’re loose. But that’s not my problem.”
Patrick wasn’t buying it. “No one else did that to me,” she insisted.
“Well, no one else was as close to you as I was,” Hamlin retorted, ending their heated exchange.
For Patrick, who drove the No. 10 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, the incident was a bitter pill to swallow. She firmly believed that Hamlin’s nudge to her car’s left rear was deliberate, causing her to lose control. Despite her anger, the seasoned Joe Gibbs Racing driver managed to defuse the situation, at least for the moment.
Fast forward to 2022, and Danica Patrick, now a retired NASCAR driver, invited Hamlin to her podcast, “Pretty Intense.” The two revisited that fateful day at Daytona, along with other topics, including the rumors of Hamlin and Michael Jordan potentially buying a minority stake in Richard Petty Motorsports.
Reflecting on the incident, Patrick recalled Hamlin’s explanation. “You told me I was too loose and that it wasn’t your fault. You said I was just too loose,” she recounted with a hint of skepticism. “Let’s be honest… what was really going through your mind?”
Hamlin stood by his original claim, insisting that Patrick’s car was indeed too loose. He explained that his intention was to give her a slight push, employing a common but risky racing tactic. “The only way I could help you go faster was by pushing you,” Hamlin admitted. “If I couldn’t push you, then I wasn’t going to help. I was just going to try to dump you every chance I got. I always push drivers I think are stable, whose cars won’t spin out when I hit them.”
Today, Danica Patrick has moved on from her racing career, channeling her energy into her own wine and designer candle brands. Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin continues to chase glory on the track, eyeing his 60th Cup Series win and his first championship. Fans can catch Hamlin in action on August 11, as NASCAR heads to Richmond Raceway for the 23rd race of the season, airing on NBC Sports.
