The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Kansas Speedway was a spectacle of high-speed drama, with Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace at the center of the action. Starting from pole position, Hamlin dominated the race, leading 159 laps, securing stage points, and having the Xfinity fastest lap. But as he was aiming for his 60th career win, the race took a dramatic turn in the final laps.

On a two-lap overtime restart, Hamlin, charging from 6th place, came up on Wallace, who was leading. Entering Turn 3, Hamlin went outward, causing Wallace to make contact with the wall. The incident disrupted both Toyotas’ momentum, allowing Chase Elliott to emerge from the chaos and claim the victory. But Wallace didn’t mince words in the post-race interview, “He’s a dumb–s for that move. I don’t care if he’s my boss or not.” But amidst the criticism Hamlin has been facing, NASCAR broadcaster Steve Letarte offered a perspective that might surprise many.

Steve Letarte’s take on Denny Hamlin’s last-lap gamble

Steve Letarte’s comments underscored the duality at play: “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.” In the high-stakes atmosphere of Kansas, Hamlin’s roles collided. As the No. 11 car dominated, earning the “Most Laps Led” designation in the Hollywood Casino 400, his instincts as a race driver kicked in. But subtle miscalculations, such as a pit stop that cost track position and shifted momentum.

Letarte acknowledged this, saying, “He drove down in there and he ran the 23 up, and they got tight, and the 9 gets by…Look, I’m okay with it. It was a pit stop that took him out of the lead. It happens. It’s human error. Issue on the pit stop of the draft.” As a driver, Hamlin is expected to be ruthless, but as a co-owner of 23XI Racing, his actions ripple wider.

The tension isn’t theoretical this season as 23XI’s off-track legal drama and charter questions have put extra pressure on the team, meaning any on-track incident now carries business as well as sporting consequences.

“I want Denny Hamlin to drive for race win 60, and that’s what he did right there. And I’ll be honest. I’ve watched turns 3 and 4 multiple times, and I believe that if Denny doesn’t drive in there very, very deep, the 23 goes around him on the outside. So I’m not sure how Denny does it different and still have a chance to win the race. I’m okay with it all,” he explained the reason for his choice. Past examples like Hamlin’s aggressive passes at tracks like the Gateway and incidents involving Joe Gibbs Racing teammates show how drivers frequently make split-second decisions that benefit themselves even when they complicate teammate runs.

Letarte further added, “I know that’s unpopular. We’re supposed to have some sort of scientific breakdown. I applaud. No, it’s okay that Bubba Wallace is pissed. That’s okay, too. He should be, because he drove in the door by the guy that owns the car. That’s a frustrating go.” Either way, as Letarte implies, this is the sort of rancor that fuels headlines, TV debates, and social media piles.

“Bubba Wallace is frustrated, as he should… It’s okay that everybody hates one another. Bubba Wallace, he came over… The day that an owner drives a car as an owner, and that’s not good. That’s not what people buy tickets for. That’s not what people watch for.” That friction is amplified by the unusual ownership structure as 23XI Racing is publicly co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, which turns ordinary on-track contact into a headline about governance, loyalty, and optics as much as it is about racing etiquette.

With Chase Elliott‘s phenomenal last-minute pass and win, the Hamlin-Wallace debate will follow 23XI for days as the playoffs narrow. But Letarte wasn’t alone in his support for Hamlin this weekend.

Jeff Gordon sympathizes as Denny Hamlin misses milestone win at Kansas

Denny Hamlin dominated Stages 1 and 2 at Kansas, but the late-race clash with teammate Bubba Wallace cost him his 60th career win. “I ruined it for us,” Hamlin admitted, reflecting on the heartbreak. Instead of hoisting the trophy, he settled for P2 as Chase Elliott capitalized, restarting from 8th and taking the checkered flag by just 0.069 seconds.

Jeff Gordon, a veteran with 93 victories and 4 championships, empathized with Hamllin’s frustration. “I can’t remember many of the ones that I won, but I can tell you all the ones I lost,” Gordon said, emphasizing how decisions like bad restarts or miscues haunt drivers. “And that’s the way I feel right now. I feel pain because we had a golden opportunity right there, and I ruined it for us.”

Hamlin reflected on the error and the pressure of the playoffs. “I got really close to the 23. If I had to do it all over again, I think I’d run a little bit lower to allow a space between us so I don’t get so tight,” he said, admitting a poor pit stop and power steering issues contributed to the mistake. “I wanted it for my dad, for everybody. Just wanted it a little bit too hard.”

Leaving Kansas still strong in points but feeling the sting of missed opportunity, Hamlin now seeks one final win at Charlotte before proceeding to the Round of 8.