Denny Hamlin says Elliott ‘shouldn’t be racing’ after wreck
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (BVM) – Denny Hamlin had high hopes for Sunday’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway but his plans had to be wrapped up early after finding himself on the opposite end of a wreck with driver Chase Elliott.
While most crashes typically end with a few not-so-happy drivers, Hamlin took a hard stance against the way Elliott went about things during the Coca-Cola 600 after appearing to intentionally take out Hamlin’s right rear during lap 186. Neither driver was able to continue and Elliott finished in 33rd while Hamlin took 34th.
“It’s a tantrum and (Elliott) shouldn’t be racing next week,” Hamlin said. “Right rear hooks are absolutely unacceptable. I don’t care. It is the same thing that Bubba Wallace did with Kyle Larson. Exact same. He shouldn’t be racing. It’s a tantrum.”
A big hit for Denny Hamlin. #NASCAR pic.twitter.com/Ss1FEqGYiJ
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 29, 2023
Elliott, who believed Hamlin ran him into the top wall, denied that the crash was any bit intentional and considered it a result of him hitting the wall just beforehand.
“The 11 (Hamlin) ran us up in the fence there, and once you tear the right side off these things, it’s kind of over,” Ellliott said. “Once you hit the wall in these things, you can’t drive them anymore. Just an unfortunate circumstance.”
Hamlin’s mention of the Wallace and Larson crash resulted in a one-race suspension for Wallace who had seemingly taken out Larson during a race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway back in October. In a similar situation, the driver of the No. 5 Chevrolet battled with Wallace up into the wall causing the then-driver of the No. 45 car to retaliate with a move to swipe Larson’s back right end.
Hamlin is hoping NASCAR will take a similar approach to this wreck, with USA Today reporting that they are already taking a close look at the incident.
If NASCAR were to follow up with a similar ruling, Elliott would once again find himself away from the track after missing much of the 2023 schedule. Elliott missed six races during the opening of the year after suffering a fractured tibia while snowboarding in Colorado.
