Controversies seem to have latched onto NASCAR’s 75th-anniversary season. While the Quaker State 400 Cup Race at Atlanta proceeded without fuss, the final stage had to be cut short due to inclement weather. What started out as a slight drizzle quickly turned into a heavy downpour, resulting in red flags being drawn out. Unable to resume the race under treacherous weather conditions, NASCAR declared William Byron the race winner.

The governing body’s decision was met with tons of backlash, with some fans even speculating foul play on Hendrick Motorsports‘ end. Now Joe Gibbs Racing’s #11 driver, Denny Hamlin has spoken out on the sporting giant’s controversial decision. 

Denny Hamlin Makes Bold Six-Word Claim Against Hendrick Motorsports

Handed a penalty early on in stage two, a punt from Corie LaJoie’s #7 Chevy sent William Byron spinning out. Dropping down a lap, Byron pushed on, staying out even when another caution flew out during the final lap of stage two. The final stage witnessed the HMS #24 driver snatch the lead from A. J. Allmendinger. Byron then proceeded to defend his lead from #99 Daniel Suarez up until lap 185. As Byron led the 37-car pack, NASCAR called out to the drivers to return to pit road, owing to a storm rolling in on the area. 

Heavy rain then broke out, disrupting any chances of the final stage’s restart. Red flagging the Quaker State 400 after a 185-lap run, NASCAR officially announced William Byron as the race winner. This act of the motorsport organization had the entire community scratching their heads. While the fans and the rest of the motorsports community had a lot to say regarding the controversial decision, Denny Hamlin has now made a bold six-word claim regarding William Byron’s controversial win. 

During a recent episode of the ‘Actions Detrimental’ podcast, co-host Jared Allen questioned the Joe Gibbs Racing #11 driver if going out on the track after the rain would have been worth it. Allen asked, “Is it worth sending the drivers back out there to run five to ten laps, change a couple positions, and then them get caught behind the eight ball in the rain, and then you have a mess, and then the whole night is kind of ruined?”

Making a bold six-word claim, Hamlin responded, “I mean I don’t know the answer to that either because, like, should William have won the race? I mean, I think it was just because he stayed out right?”

“He was one of the cars that stayed out, and there was a bunch of cars that were staying out. (Michael) McDowell stayed out, he was about to run out of gas, I think. I don’t know. I don’t know the answer to that and what’s the right answer. Certainly we’ve had some finishes, that you know it, that the orders got mixed up because of rain right and so I’m not sure,” the JGR #11 driver added. 

Still conflicted by NASCAR’s decision, Hamlin said, “I mean William, if he had enough laps he probably would have drove up there, he was fast enough to do that. But yeah there is no perfect answer to it. There were definitely drops falling when we pulled in for the red flag. So yeah I’m not sure how many laps they would have got in if they decided right from the get-go, we’re gonna do this.”

While Denny Hamlin was conflicted about NASCAR’s decision, race winner William Byron himself was confused.

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William Byron’s Atlanta Win Left Him Confused

With four Cup Series wins this season, William Byron has more victories than any other driver. Leading on NASCAR’s Cup standings with a total of 628 points, Hendrick Motorsports’ pride was left confused by his Quaker State 400 win.

Although happy to have bagged the win, Byron didn’t fully understand the circumstances of his win. In a post-race interview, the HMS #24 driver said, “Honestly, I don’t completely understand this one. It’s a really good feeling, I’ve never had a rain victory like this.”

Enjoying a great 2023 season so far, will this be the year William Byron adds a Cup championship to his name?

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