NASCAR’s history is littered with owner-driver dust-ups that shake the sport to its core. In 2011, Kyle Busch spun Ron Hornaday Jr. under caution at Texas in a Truck Series race, a reckless move that got him parked and roasted by fans and media alike.

In the 1960s, Curtis Turner’s attempt to unionize drivers crossed NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., earning him a lifetime ban, a power move that cemented the sport’s tight grip on its stars. Fast forward to 2025, and Bubba Wallace and his 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin are in the spotlight after a wild last-lap clash at Kansas Speedway’s Hollywood Casino 400 on September 28, 2025. After days of silence, Wallace dropped a five-word bombshell: “I don’t fault Denny Hamlin.” That’s got everyone buzzing about their relationship and the heart racing itself.

Wallace clears the air

Bubba Wallace laid it all out at a pre-race media conference: “It’s definitely a sombre week for sure, and I hate that it. I hate that it got to this point, the lingering effect, but Denny, I just talked 30 minutes ago, and it was a good heart-to-heart conversation.” The Kansas incident, Hamlin bumping Wallace into the wall while gunning for win No. 60, was a gut punch.

Wallace’s middle finger on the cooldown lap screamed frustration, but his 30-minute sit-down with Hamlin was all about healing. Their talk, grounded in mutual respect, shows two competitors trying to move past a raw moment, much like Busch and Keselowski have done after on-track scraps.

“Came from a place of peace, went better than I thought it would, and he shared his side of things, and I shared mine, and when we had common ground,” Wallace said. Hamlin owned his aggressive move, insisting his job as a driver trumps his owner role, race to win, no exceptions. Wallace, sitting 26 points below the Round of 8 cut, could’ve held a grudge but chose understanding instead. It’s a nod to their 23XI bond, where business and competition coexist, even when it stings.

“I’ll be a little gracious here and say 95% of the people on this side of the catch fence look at that move as ‘oof’ right? That’s it. While the other 5% or whether they’re buddies or whatever, they don’t care, and then they see the other side of it,” he noted.

Most fans on X saw Hamlin’s move as a fair game, just racing for the win. But Wallace gets the vocal minority, some siding with him, others just stirring drama. “I don’t fault Denny Hamlin for racing for a win for racing for his team and his sponsors,” he added, giving Hamlin props for chasing victory, owner hat off.

“That’s one when you know I get the question a lot. What’s it like racing Denny on the racetrack? No offense to them, but I can give two shits because a competitor and he has labeled it that way,” Wallace quipped. It’s a blunt take, Hamlin’s just another guy in a firesuit when the green flag drops. “And so that was two competitors going for a win, and so as much as it didn’t work out, I have to respect that,” he said. The five-word “good heart-to-heart conversation” sums up their truce, keeping 23XI’s focus on the playoffs.

“And you know I think Dale said it. I have every right to be pissed off about it, right?” Wallace said, nodding to Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s take that his anger was justified. Junior called Hamlin’s move hard but fair, a line Wallace echoes.

“My biggest thing was that Toyota didn’t win, and before I got before I left my motorhome after the race,  I texted apologizing that we didn’t win. We had five in the top five to take the green flag. But none of them won,” he added. His post-race text to the team shows his bigger-picture mindset; Toyota’s loss stung more than the personal slight.

Letarte’s take: Racing trumps ownership

Wallace’s peace-making ties to Steve Letarte’s bold stance on Inside the Race. “Well, yeah, because you’re on board with driver Denny Hamlin. You’re not on board with team owner Denny Hamlin right here. When he puts his fire suit on, he’s a race car driver, and he drove down in there, and yeah, he ran the 23 up, and they got tight, and the nine gets by,” Letarte said.

Hamlin’s 159 laps led and stage sweeps at Kansas showed his hunger for win No. 60, and Letarte’s all for it. Dale Earnhardt Jr. thought Hamlin could’ve spared Wallace, but Letarte and Kyle Petty backed the aggression.

“Bubba Wallace is frustrated as he should be. The day that an owner drives a car as an owner, man. That’s not good. That’s not what people buy tickets for. That’s not what people watch for. I want Denny Hamlin to drive for the race win 60. And that’s what he did right there,” Letarte argued.

He rewatched turns three and four, concluding Hamlin had no cleaner shot at the win. Wallace’s top-five run ended in a wall, but Letarte calls it the racing fans crave, raw, no favors. His “unpopular” opinion aligns with Wallace’s respect for Hamlin’s drive, showing the Kansas clash was just NASCAR’s heart beating loud.