Is Denny Hamlin Subtly Blaming Kyle Larson for Wrecking 23XI Duo Bubba Wallace & Kurt Busch in Talladega?

During the closing stages of the NASCAR Cup race at Talladega, defending champion Kyle Larson made a move to his right, from the bottom to the top that collected Kurt Busch, and subsequently, his teammate Bubba Wallace as well. This was something that one can imagine wouldn’t sit well with the 23XI Racing co-owner, Denny Hamlin.

And perhaps it really didn’t, as one of his tweets suggests.

The thing is, NASCAR posted a video of the last lap crash of the 23XI Racing duo on which Hamlin commented with something not necessarily cryptic, but something without any real context, something open to interpretation.

“Not clear,” was what the 23XI Racing co-owner wrote.

Now, this could mean two things. Either he is being critical of Kyle Larson for making a move a bit too late, a time when he wasn’t clear to his right as he nudged the elder man Busch.

Or it could mean that Hamlin is unsure, unclear whether it was the Hendrick driver who was to blame for the subsequent wrecks or not.

Denny Hamlin on his 23XI Racing woes

In an interview after his Richmond win, Denny Hamlin was asked to give his opinion on the situation at 23XI Racing.

Hamlin emphasized that they’re trying to address “all the issues” that there are. Looking visibly stressed and concerned, the JGR driver then went on to describe the woeful situation in the garages of both #23 and #45.

As for Bubba Wallace’s team, Hamlin had narrowed it down to the pit crew not doing well. “We’re just not doing a good enough job over there,” he said.

For Kurt Busch’s side of the garage, he was critical of the fact that the car sat in the garage for over 100 laps while a new sponsor was waiting to see the light of the day on the car.

Either way, the co-owner had concluded with a pinch of optimism for the future. “Hopefully we look back on these two months around and say, ‘It’s just a little bump in the road,'” Hamlin said.

“Because certainly, it’s not acceptable by any means.”

Bubba Wallace: 2022 the “Best Year” of My NASCAR Career So Far