The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Charlotte Roval reached a fever pitch as the final lap unfolded. Joey Logano and Ross Chastain were locked in a duel for the last transfer spot into the Round of 8. Then came Denny Hamlin and pushed the scenario in Logano’s favor in the last lap, not knowing that he would be aiding one of NASCAR’s toughest Championship 4 contenders.

In the aftermath, Ross Chastain took full responsibility for the incident. Teary-eyed, he acknowledged his mistakes and expressed regret over the outcome, stating, “Whether he knew (the point situation) or not, I don’t know, but I would hate to be in that position. Well, the past speaks for itself that I’m aware of my surroundings, and I am sorry to them.” Hamlin, despite his earlier admission of being clueless about the situation on track, has revealed a 6-word message for the community that continues to question his actions.

Denny Hamlin breaks down his right to decide in playoff chaos

Hamlin, who has now locked into the Round of 8, reflected on the situation by posing a critical question about his own agency, ahead of the South Point 400 race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, saying, “Am I allowed to make a decision being that I have no allegiance to either? Because I would argue that I’ve earned the right to decide.” 

Hamlin continued to break down the final-lap scenario, which saw a desperate Chastain dive-bomb him in the final chicane, spinning both cars. The resulting chaos allowed Logano to barely squeak across the line and advance by 4 points over Chastain.

Hamlin highlighted how the situation was created by the playoff contenders themselves. “They put themselves, unfortunately, in a vulnerable spot where I get to decide. But it’s no, how’s it any different than like, I don’t know, a super speedway,” he said.

But this incident is not unprecedented in NASCAR’s playoff history. In the 2024 Martinsville race, a similar scenario unfolded when drivers of the No. 1, No. 3, and No. 23 teams were implicated in actions that appeared to intentionally influence the race’s outcome.

The No. 1 team, led by Ross Chastain, and the No. 3 team, with Austin Dillon, were found to have formed a blockade to assist William Byron in advancing to the Championship 4. Similarly, Bubba Wallace of the No. 23 team reportedly faked a tire failure to allow Christopher Bell to pass him, aiming to benefit Bell’s playoff standing. In response to these actions, NASCAR imposed severe penalties, including 50-point deductions for both drivers and owners, $100,000 fines for each team, and suspensions for key personnel.

But here, Hamlin’s case seems genuine. He drew a direct comparison to a well-accepted NASCAR practice of drafting on superspeedways, saying, “If I know I can’t win, I’m picking which car I’m going to push to the finish. I’m probably going to push the one that I think is, I don’t want to get five bonus points.” In races at Daytona and Talladega, for instance, it is common and legal for drivers to ally themselves with a competitor to push them to a victory, even if it means sacrificing their own finish.

Hamlin’s point is that if he is allowed to choose a drafting partner to assist their race outcome, why is he not allowed to choose not to pass a car to influence the championship outcome? He completed his analogy by focusing on the rewards of strategic racing versus the greater championship picture, stating, “So we always have those scenarios where we’re picking and choosing.” 

His choice at the Roval, had he been informed, would have been a similar trade-off of sacrificing a minor gain in finish position to eliminate a major rival from the title picture.

On the contrary, Chastain was contrite about the wreck, not the attempt, saying, “I’m sorry to Denny, I’m sorry to JGR and his whole team. They were definitely innocent bystanders.” 

Ultimately, Hamlin’s core argument is that strategic manipulation to eliminate a rival is legitimate and part of NASCAR’s format, mirroring other accepted strategic decisions already present in the sport. However, Hamlin isn’t the only one defending his move.

Denny Hamlin’s crew chief calls for clarity after Charlotte Roval chaos

Chris Gayle, Denny Hamlin‘s trusted spotter and right-hand man, discussed the ambiguity surrounding what can be communicated over the radio during races.

Speaking on NASCAR SiriusXM Radio, he said, “In some areas, yes. And in others, no, I think it’s still a little grey, specifically related to, I thought maybe we knew…And I think that NASCAR will give some clarity on that this week. I think, you know, you’ve alluded to a few tweets and podcast notes where people have talked about this and NASCAR saying they’re going to talk to the team. So, you know, I think that’ll be what’s needed. We’ll see what’s said in those meetings and hopefully walk away from there with a clear understanding of what can and can’t be said.”

NASCAR maintains that any radio communication about playoff standings could be seen as race manipulation, as highlighted by communication director Mike Forde: “If we do see something or hear something we don’t like, we are going to step in, which we have done now several times.”

Gayle expressed personal regret over not warning Hamlin more clearly, stating, “I wish I had warned him a little more that, like, you know, the one’s going to be desperate here and he might come and wreck you. But outside of that, I’m not sure what I could and shouldn’t have said necessarily, whether I would have gone over the line on something or not, or if I could have just told him that point situation of the one specifically, you know, in the last couple laps.”

He added, “So I just kind of moved on from that and, you know, wish I had warned him so he would have known not to get wrecked, but that’s about it. One is allowed under NASCAR’s rules.”

With NASCAR’s leadership laying out how controversial radio communications are monitored, teams heading into Las Vegas must tread carefully. While Hamlin has made his intentions clear and avoid any appearance of race manipulation.