Denny Hamlin, a seasoned veteran with over 700 Cup Series starts, entered the 2025 NASCAR playoffs with strong momentum, securing five wins during the regular season. His victory at the Enjoy Illinois 300 at Gateway not only marked his 59th career win but also propelled him into the Round of 12. On the other hand, his 23XI driver Bubba Wallace’s campaign took a hit at New Hampshire, where he finished 26th, dropping him to the bottom of the playoff standings. And this time, the tempers have flared between the two.

At Kansas, both Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace engaged in a compelling battle for the lead during the Hollywood Casino 400. Hamlin, piloting the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, capitalized on a strategic two-tire pit stop that enabled him to reclaim the lead after a cycle of green-flag pit stops. His crew’s efficiency was evident, with a total pit stop time of 37.34 seconds, including a 10.12-second in-box time and a 27.22-second total stop time. But his radio comments against Wallace stirred up frustration on the track.

How Denny Hamlin’s comments put Bubba Wallace in the hot seat

Hamlin’s comment, “Does he know he’s slowing us down?” directed at Wallace, reflected the competitive tension between the two drivers as they contended for positions. Hamlin’s spotter advised him, “You’ll have to drag him [side draft] and slide him [slide job],” indicating the aggressive tactics employed to overtake Wallace.

Ultimately, Hamlin’s assertive maneuvering and timely pit strategy allowed him to pass Wallace and secure the lead, with Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson closely trailing, forming a four-car breakaway at the front of the field.

In contrast to Hamlin, Wallace’s No. 23 Toyota, representing 23XI Racing, underwent a slightly quicker pit stop, totaling 36.70 seconds, with an in-box time of 9.54 seconds and a total stop time of 27.16 seconds. Despite the marginally faster pit stop, Wallace’s team was unable to maintain the lead, allowing Hamlin to surge ahead as the race progressed. But the dynamics between Hamlin and Wallace were further highlighted by their interactions and the strategic decisions made during the race.

Despite the initial heat of the moment, Hamlin dominated the race, claiming both Stage 1 and Stage 2 victories to earn the maximum 20 stage points. With over 90 laps led in the race, Hamlin surpassed 16,000 career laps led in the NASCAR Cup Series, becoming just the 12th driver in history to reach this milestone. Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell followed closely, collecting 17 and 16 points, respectively, while Chase Elliott added 15 points to his tally after a competitive showing. Wallace, despite a strong effort, earned just 5 points, finishing 8th in Stage 2.

With 52 laps to go in Stage 3, Hamlin’s radio sparked again, “There is something wrong with the f—g steering. It’s sticking bad,” telling the No. 11 team before the pit stops. He later added in frustration, “I don’t know what to do. I can’t f—g believe it… Every year. Every year.” While Bubba Wallace was told that he should be able to go out on the top lane on the restart. But the exasperation has been a recurring occurrence over the past few races.

NASCAR playoff pressure sparks team drama for Joe Gibbs Racing

NASCAR’s playoff pressure cooker boiled over at New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s Mobil 1 301 on September 21, 2025, when JGR teammates Denny Hamlin and Ty Gibbs collided on Lap 110. Hamlin, deep in the championship hunt, was scrapping for 11th-place stage points when Gibbs, out of the playoffs but racing hard, kept him pinned. The standoff ended when Hamlin clipped Gibbs’s No. 54 Toyota exiting Turn 4, sending his teammate spinning into the Turn 1 wall and out of the race.

Hamlin, who finished 12th, called it a mistake but didn’t hide his irritation at Gibbs’ block, which also held up fellow contender Christopher Bell. In a pre-race presser before Kansas, Hamlin opened up just a crack about the JGR sit-down. “Yeah, all the drivers had an opportunity to speak and try to come up with a plan, and did our best to come up with one. That’s it. That’s all that is there,” he said when asked if leadership stepped in.

The meeting was all hands on deck, with Hamlin, Gibbs, Bell, Chase Briscoe, and the bosses hashing out a way to avoid future flare-ups. JGR’s been here before, like the 2010 Kyle Busch-Hamlin dust-up at Homestead, where team chats smoothed the edges. Hamlin’s “that’s all that there is” signals closure, a nod that they’ve got a plan to keep the family feud off the track.

Hamlin also owned his part: “Well, I mean, certainly, I absolutely have to get you know, I definitely got hot under the collar. It went too far on my end and certainly there’s. I wish I could do that.” The New Hampshire scrap, with Hamlin venting “What the f–k is he doing?” over Gibbs’ block, was playoff-critical, as stage points were life or death for Hamlin and Bell.

Tyler Reddick’s post-race take nailed the etiquette issue: competitive fire’s fine, but teammates shouldn’t be the toughest pass. Hamlin’s reflection shows he has learned from it, hoping Gibbs does too.