The Pennzoil 400 race was largely a two-man war between Kyle Larson and Tyler Reddick. Both of them expended every last drop of sweat in trying to outsmart the other, and eventually, Larson dominated till the end of the race. But there was another duo who reignited their past rivalry from last year, and Denny Hamlin was quick to offer his opinion.

The beef between Ryan Blaney and Ross Chastain developed at Phoenix Raceway in the 2023 Championship race. Blaney used the aero-blocking tactics this year that pulled Chastain to 1st place back then. Blaney hurled some colorful slang at him each time, and Hamlin is none too pleased about that.

Denny Hamlin is not backing the aggressive side of Blaney

Both Chastain and Blaney are stellar drivers, as demonstrated in the Las Vegas race. Chastain was relegated to the very last spot in the race line-up after a hood change and managed to thunder into a P4 finish. Blaney started in P15 and battled it out to finish in 3rd place at the end. But the smart drivers find it hard to see eye to eye.

Denny Hamlin recently shared his take on the renewed Blaney-Chastain fight. In an episode of ‘Actions Detrimental’, he criticized Blaney’s short temper. 

“I saw that. I don’t know if we should really overreact. I think Blaney goes off the deep end most weeks. Like this is just who he is. He just loses his brain over the radio. I mean, it’s one thing to just yell into your helmet, or choose the steering wheel, when you’re really upset. But he just clicks the button and goes haywire. I wouldn’t read up into it too much…”

Then co-host Travis Rockhold spilled the beans on the icky comment. “Going back to their aero blocking in Phoenix, when Ross was in front of Blaney, trying to win the race, and Blaney was racing for the championship. So now kind of roles reversed…The quote was, from Blaney, ‘Tell that dumbf*k to be smart, what a d*k’.”     

Even Hamlin, known for his unfiltered personality, was taken aback at this profanity: “Gee, yikes. PG there, Travis….” Then he called the duo ‘interesting’: “I think…Chastain made some snark comments after the race as well, saying you know, ‘I saw him aero blocking, I’m proud of him’. (Giggles) We need interesting people.”

Read More: “Didn’t Want the Lead To Win”- Ryan Blaney Unmasks True Intentions Behind Heated Ross Chastain Phoenix Battle

Hamlin may be scrutinizing Blaney, but the latter does not seem to regret his feisty personality.

Blaney is well aware of his simmering temper

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The Championship race last November witnessed a boiling rivalry unfolding on the track. Ross Chastain led a race-high 157 laps, and past the 250-lap mark locked horns with Ryan Blaney. Although he was driving clean, Chastain used air to block out Blaney. The latter answered in kind: he drove deep into Turns 1 and 2 and rammed into the back of Chastain’s car.

After Chastain claimed the 1st place, Blaney did not hide his emotions, calling him a “piece of sh*t” and “air-blocking mother f**ker.”

As it turns out, Blaney admitted to his raging attitude. “There’s no secret that I can snap on the radio. That’s been my whole life. That’s been my whole career. It’s just kind of something I do. The fact that Ross said I raced him hard. The dude blocked three lanes in the corner of every lap. I don’t know how I’m racing him hard.”

The prickly relation between Blaney and Chastain may take time to heal. But as Denny Hamlin said, these encounters make races more ‘interesting’.