The world of NASCAR has given its drivers a fair share of cheers and boos. But in recent times, the brunt of the fan backlash has been shared by two drivers. Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace. While it’s not uncommon for fans to voice their opinions loudly, the reasons behind these boos have become a topic of heated discussion in the stock racing community.

Denny Hamlin’s remarkable milestone, his 50th Cup victory, should have been a day of celebration at Pocono, earlier this year. However, it turned into a rather contentious affair as boos rained down from the stands, drowning out any cheers. The fans’ reaction was a bit unwarranted, given the significance of Hamlin’s achievement. The turning point came with just seven laps to go when Hamlin made a daring move, diving inside Kyle Larson to seize the lead. This maneuver forced Larson into the outside wall, effectively ruining his chances of victory. As Hamlin took the checkered flag, the resounding chorus of boos was hard to ignore.

Has Denny Hamlin become the most booed driver in NASCAR history

The booing at Pocono wasn’t an isolated incident either. Fans boos echoed not only at Pocono but also at Bristol, Martinsville, and even in his home race at Richmond. It’s a perplexing situation that caught the attention of none other than Dale Earnhardt Jr.

The NASCAR Hall of Famer shed light on why Hamlin had surpassed Kyle Busch as the most booed driver in the sport. Jr’s insight revealed that it was a combination of on and off-track actions that had soured Hamlin’s relationship with the fans.

During a recent episode of his famous podcast, Dale Jr said, “I can understand both sides of it. I really think that put anybody else in Denny’s car, and he had the same outrage. I mean, he already had a lot of people pretty upset at him over this year, right? Some of the things he’s been involved in on and off track have soured a lot of things right?”

“You go to the racetrack… But when you go there and he’s introduced, he’s likely the most booed driver,” he added. “It used to be Kyle Busch, but now, it ain’t even close. And so, he didn’t help himself there. The fans were adamant. Now I look down and I’m in the booth and I’m looking down and there’s some fans cheering. There’s some 11 flags and shirts and they got their arm and air, but it was like 80:20.”

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Bubba Wallace also found himself in a similar situation. At Bristol, both Hamlin and Wallace faced the disapproval of fans. This sparked a heated debate about why Wallace received such negative attention.

NASCAR Fans rally to defend Bubba Wallace in the heated “boos” debate

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When Bubba Wallace found himself on the receiving end of boos after the race at Bristol, the development prompted one fan to take the issue to NASCAR’s subreddit, seeking answers as to why both drivers faced the booing. To everyone’s astonishment, the debate took an unexpected turn as many fans rallied to defend Bubba Wallace. Comments flooded in, offering contrasting perspectives on why both drivers face backlash.

One fan summarized the sentiment, stating, “Denny has a black driver racing for him. Bubba is the black driver. The people booing are hopefully last in line of generations of hicks with confederate flags.” This comment hinted at the racial dynamics at play in NASCAR. Another fan added to the sentiment, “Bubba is mostly because he’s black, and also because the brain-dead followers of a certain orange criminal were told by their cult leader that Bubba was bad.”

One fan pointed out how the sadness of the predicament, “Sad part about Bubba is that even though he’s the only black driver, I’m willing to guess he’s probably got more in common with his own ‘haters’ than they know or refuse to acknowledge. It’s like if these haters could actually listen and talk to him, they would probably be his goddam best friend and it’s just a little ironic and unsettling to think about.”

Another fan said that hate towards Bubba Wallace is unwarranted, “Overall, both are pretty hated. I’d say Denny’s is justified to an extent, but Bubba’s is pretty unnecessary.”

Fans believed that Wallace faced unjustified backlash, often unrelated to on-track events. The debate underscored the complexity of fan sentiments in NASCAR, reflecting a sport grappling with evolving dynamics both on and off the track.

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Debates like these continue to add layers of intrigue to the sport, transcending the boundaries of the racetrack. We invite you to share your thoughts and insights with us in the comments below.