“It’s all publicity, but spin it how you want it,” said Kyle Busch, sharing his thoughts about Dale Earnhardt Jr. taking over as crew chief for Connor Zilisch at Pocono Raceway. The JR Motorsports co-owner made his debut atop the pit box at the ‘Tricky Triangle’ and guided his young prodigy to victory at the 2.5-mile tri-oval. While the rest of the NASCAR community was awestruck at the result, ‘Rowdy’ was less than impressed and didn’t use any filter while speaking out.

But Denny Hamlin wasn’t having it. The seven-time Cup Series winner at Pocono Raceway knows exactly what it takes to triumph at the challenging track, and didn’t hesitate to come to Junior’s defense in the latest iteration of his podcast.

Denny Hamlin gives credit where it’s due

The rivalry between Kyle Busch and Dale Jr. goes way back. In 2007, Junior left DEI because of internal issues and landed at Hendrick Motorsports. But that meant ‘Rowdy’ was forced to leave, which led to underlying tensions between the two drivers. Almost two decades have passed since, but it seems like there isn’t much love lost between them. The Nevada native even said, “He’s just going to be a warm body sitting on top of the box,” when asked about the JR Motorsports co-owner making his debut as crew chief. That’s pretty brutal.

But the sentiment wasn’t shared by Denny Hamlin. Sharing his thoughts on the Actions Detrimental podcast, the veteran racer said, “I think we gotta give Dale Jr. a little bit of due. Certainly don’t want to undersell the fact that the team was doing the heavy lifting. Listen, I think the answer is somewhere in between. Kyle Busch says he’s nothing but a warm body up there. You know, the TV sells it as if he’s an actual crew chief. I think the answer is somewhere in between. But still, you gotta be responsible, right?“

Busch’s comments led to plenty of backlash from the fans. That’s expected. After all, taking a swipe at the recipient of Cup Series’ Most Popular Driver 15 times in a row will get that kind of reaction. ‘Rowdy’ even attempted to backtrack his comments, writing on X, “This has nothing to do with any animosity towards Dale Jr. I’m referencing how silly the suspensions for crew chiefs are these days with all the technology they have to stay in contact with their teams.” But the damage was already done.

There’s no doubt that JR Motorsports is arguably the top team in the Xfinity Series. And Connor Zilisch is a generational talent who has already secured a win before the one at Pocono Raceway. While there were plenty of factors involved in the No. 88 Chevy entering Victory Lane at the ‘Tricky Triangle,’ Dale Jr. was certainly one of them. That’s why Denny Hamlin said, “You got to get the messages to the driver, and he (Junior) saw opportunities, strategy-wise, and he’s probably talking to the engineers about the strategy.” Connor Zilisch was also very honest about Dale Jr.’s impact on his first oval victory.

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Zilisch opens up about Dale Jr.’s influence at Pocono Raceway

Looks like Denny Hamlin wasn’t the only one giving Dale Earnhardt Jr. the credit he deserved. Connor Zilisch was ecstatic after entering Victory Lane at Pocono Raceway, which was his third Xfinity Series win in his short career. The 18-year-old finished third in Stage 1 and won the second Stage, and after a late restart, he passed his best friend Jesse Love to reclaim the lead on Lap 96 and held on to win by a half-second lead.

Sharing his thoughts about the race, Connor Zilisch said afterwards, “Finally, all the cards fell our way today. We were able to get the lead with a few laps to go and set sail. It was such a cool race, and having Dale in my ear. I definitely listened to what he said. He’s got way more experience than I do. He’s won here in a Cup car twice. He’s my crew chief; there’s no reason he’d give me bad information.”

Dale Jr. wasn’t just sitting atop the pit box at Pocono Raceway. He even helped out during the pit stops, handing the left-front tire to the tire changer during the race. While the JR Motorsports co-owner has no intention of taking over crew chief responsibilities full-time, he admitted that the experience was “A lot of fun for me today.” Could he take over as crew chief once again this season? Time will tell. But it’s clear that the 50-year-old missed that adrenaline rush after years of being sidelined because of his broadcasting and ownership responsibilities.