Cup Series races are usually thrilling to watch and keep the fans on the edge of their seats. However, that is not always the case as some drivers might become the reason for unnecessary breaks and cautions. Sometimes, their actions seem intentional, which is very frustrating for the spectators as well as other drivers and the team owners.

Denny Hamlin felt the recent outing at the Circuit of The Americas to be one such race. The race had several instances where it seemed that drivers repeatedly crossed a line to gain an advantage, often by deliberately bumping into others from the inside in a bid to pass. In a recent conversation, the 23XI Racing co-owner called out drivers who went ahead with such a strategy.

Denny Hamlin calls out deliberate, outrageous behavior

The wreck-fest race at COTA led to multiple restarts, delaying the race to a great extent and getting embroiled in controversies. On the latest episode of the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin opened up about how NASCAR races are getting to be more like playing bumper cars than actually racing. He said, “It’s like people see an opening and they think oh if I jam it in there, then I’m there. No, that’s not racing. You’re playing bumper cars, that is what we’re doing.”

Without taking any names, Hamlin pointed out that sadly, in most races, the drivers who have no possible chance of leading the race turn out to be the winners, by intentionally raising caution. He said, “It’s unfortunate but it’s scr*wing up the end of the race.

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“I mean, very easily could’ve had a s**t show at the front, and next thing you know, somebody who had no business winning, winning. I mean that’s what we’ve had many many times.”

However, in the end, Hamlin did get some relief as Tyler Reddick took the checkered flag. “But luckily you know we had a happy ending with the fastest car winning,” he added.

Tyler Reddick’s first win did not come easy

Tyler Reddick recorded his third road course victory and his first as a 23XI Racing driver at the first road course race of the season. Victory didn’t come in easy for Tyler as he had to fight to keep the lead through the multiple restarts arising out of triple overtime.

Being at the front of the pack helped Reddick avoid wrecks during the triple overtime, making his way to the victory lane. However, it didn’t mean that he had it easy. He had to hold on to his nerves during the final few laps as Kyle Busch was constantly trying to edge ahead.

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As Denny Hamlin mentioned, the race finally turned out in the favor of the “fastest car.”  Reddick’s #45 Toyota prevailed, though the fans would have liked it better if the unnecessary cautions had been avoided. However, hopes are high that this weekend’s race at Richmond Raceway would see drivers race more responsibly.