Denny Hamlin Fails to Buy HMS ‘Washed’ Verdict Despite Darlington Nightmare

Darlington’s Cook Out Southern 500 on August 31 kicked off the 2025 Cup Series playoffs with high stakes for all 16 contenders. Chase Briscoe celebrated a dominant victory, leading 309 laps for his second win of the season, while Bubba Wallace grabbed sixth and Austin Cindric crossed in twelfth, both gaining solid ground. Hendrick Motorsports drivers, however, faced a tough night; their best was Chase Elliott in 17th, followed by Kyle Larson in 19th, William Byron in 21st, and Alex Bowman in 31st. But how did this shake up the garage talk?

Despite the questionable finish, Hendrick’s quartet remains cushioned in the standings, with Elliott at +9, Larson at +38, and Byron at +25 above the cutline, but Bowman sits at -19. Veteran Denny Hamlin, fresh off a 24th at Daytona and a seventh at Darlington, understands racing’s swings better than most. As scrutiny builds around Hendrick’s form, Hamlin weighs in with his take on the debate. So what are his thoughts on the narrative building up around Hendrick’s drivers?

Denny Hamlin rejects Hendrick’s ‘washed’ label

On his podcast Actions Detrimental, Denny Hamlin dove into the Darlington fallout, pushing back against fans calling Hendrick Motorsports drivers washed after their collective struggles. “The Hendrick guys, obviously, the result was bad. I think they were better than that,” Hamlin said, noting how the team’s overall speed didn’t match the final positions. This stems from a race riddled with pitfalls; Elliott got caught in strategy mishaps, Kyle Larson dealt with handling issues that dropped him back, Byron couldn’t find grip all night, and Bowman suffered a disastrous pit stop where the air hose failed to connect properly.

Denny Hamlin‘s perspective draws from his own career, where he’s notched 58 Cup wins, including multiple at Darlington, showing he knows one bad outing doesn’t define a squad. Delving deeper, Hamlin broke down specifics. “I think they’re getting a little too overzealous, like, wow, they performed 17th or worse. They did not. The nine obviously got caught on his strategy, unfortunately, by that yellow. That hurt him,” he explained, referring to Elliott’s No. 9 car hampered by a caution that ruined his track position.

Larson’s potential was undercut by possible towing damage, as Hamlin guessed: “Larson, more than likely, had towing damage, if I had to guess.” These insights highlight how isolated errors amplified the nightmare, but Hamlin sees underlying strength. Hendrick entered the playoffs with Byron as the regular-season champ and all four cars locked in early, a far cry from being washed.

For Alex Bowman, Hamlin questioned the car’s baseline speed. “The 48, I don’t know. They had that awful pit stop with the hose that wasn’t plugged in. But like, was he any good anyway? He qualified badly to start,” he noted, pointing out Bowman’s poor 29th qualifying spot that set a tough tone. This adds pressure heading into Gateway and Bristol, where Hendrick must execute flawlessly to avoid slipping further. Bowman’s deficit means one more slip could end his run early, while the others risk losing their buffer if rivals like Hamlin or Briscoe keep surging.

Hamlin’s refusal to buy the verdict reminds everyone that playoffs reward consistency over one race’s chaos. Yet, Hendrick’s camp isn’t brushing it off lightly. Their own admissions reveal the internal sting from Darlington.

Hendrick’s Darlington dud confession

Hendrick Motorsports hit a low at Darlington, with crew chief Rudy Fugle owning the team’s shortcomings. “We’re embarrassed. We’ve got to execute a lot better all around. Nothing comfortable. We didn’t do s–t today,” Fugle admitted after William Byron’s 21st-place run, a far cry from his spring victory there. This honesty underscores a rare off-night for the powerhouse, where no car led a lap despite dominating the track earlier in 2025 with wins from Larson and Byron. Fugle’s call to “race our a– off every week, or it’s going to be a long offseason” signals urgency, especially as Toyota teams like Joe Gibbs Racing showed superior pace, leaving Hendrick chasing setups.

William Byron echoed the frustration over the radio. “Yeah, 10-4. That was terrible,” he said, summing up a race where balance issues plagued his No. 24 Chevrolet from the start. This came after a decent qualifying with an 11th spot, but adjustments failed amid tire wear at the “Too Tough to Tame” track, dropping him steadily. The admission leaves fans concerned, as Hendrick’s depth, boasting over 300 all-time wins, now faces scrutiny to rebound, with Fugle emphasizing better execution to avoid playoff elimination.

The fallout extends team-wide, amplifying pressure on drivers like Bowman, whose pit blunder sealed a 21st-place finish. “We’ve got to improve and get better,” Fugle stressed, hinting at internal reviews ahead of Gateway. This gravestone from a team that’s won 14 Cup Series owners and drivers championships reflects a wake-up call, urging Hendrick to leverage its resources, top engineers, and simulators to flip the script and restore fan hope in their title chase.