Who would’ve thought that Denny Hamlin and Brandon Brown, two of the most controversial NASCAR drivers today, each for very different reasons, would bond over the same thing? Yet, that’s exactly what happened after the Talladega race weekend.

But before you begin expecting pictures or videos of them hanging out or shaking hands, don’t. Well, realistically, don’t.

Because Brown did post an emoji of shaking hands in reaction to a Denny Hamlin tweet that simply read, “Pain.” One word that summed up his race as well as Brown’s race at the Superspeedway.

The Cup Series driver finished in the 18th place in the race, while the Xfinity Series driver had it worse as he failed to even finish the race.

Why are Denny Hamlin and Brandon Brown controversial figures in NASCAR?

The reason Denny Hamlin is a controversial figure in NASCAR is simply because of his outspoken personality. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver isn’t someone who minces his words, and often times those words form big statements.

Take, for instance, his suggestion that NASCAR ‘preferred’ Hendrick Motorsports for the Le Mans project instead of making it a fair deal for all three OEMs.

More recently, there’s another suggestion that could be interpreted as him blaming Kyle Larson for wrecking his 23XI Racing drivers in Talladega.

As for Brandon Brown, things are a bit different. Yes, he is controversial. But not because of anything he said or did. He simply found himself in the middle of it, without his asking, or without his doing.

After his race win at Talladega last year, the Xfinity Series driver found himself in the storm of the ‘Let’s Go Brandon’ political chant that spread across the country as quickly as stock cars wrecking each other at superspeedways.

Anyway, both Denny Hamlin and Brandon Brown had pretty miserable weekends in Talladega. And they’ll surely be hoping to bounce back next week.

Also Read: “This Makes Me So Happy” NASCAR Community Reacts to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Amazing Job at the FOX Booth in Talladega