Most of the time, there is very little room for error for the drivers in the restricted passing lanes and narrow bends that mark motorsport events. So it is no surprise that every racecar driver has been wrecked at some point in their career. Denny Hamlin and Alex Bowman are two drivers who have constantly been in a similar position, particularly with one another, for many years.

A few days ago, at Chicago Street Race, initially, Bowman was in the lead, but Hamlin collided with Bowman’s rear bumper in turn 11. After his vehicle swerved and almost smacked the outside wall, the HMS driver narrowly avoided a chain reaction of misfortunes.

The starting point of their heated struggle was at the 41st lap, where the duo tried their best to move up the rankings and into the top 10. However, a little chip in the back of Bowman’s #48 Camaro by Denny Hamlin caused him to spin out and nearly hit the wall. It took Bowman a long time to get back to where he had been before the spin, and he dropped many places as a result.

Alex Bowman posted an Instagram story after the race in which he lamented how his otherwise perfect day had devolved into chaos, stating, “Quite sure it sounded like Denny shot just the brakes up, missed the corner and I helped him make the corner. But somehow, that whole change broke something in the engine or something was already going wrong.”

Alex Bowman Feels Guilty for Crashing Denny Hamlin at Martinsville

It is all quite ironic since more recently, the Hendrick Motorsports driver had acknowledged that he still felt guilty after wrecking the Joe Gibbs Racing driver for the victory two years ago at Martinsville.

A couple of days ago, Alex Bowman met with the press in Chicago to discuss a wide range of topics, including his anticipation for NASCAR races in urban areas. A few heads turned, though, when he answered the question about whether the governing body should begin punishing drivers for aggressive driving.

This is how Bowman put it: “No. They can’t. It’s what the sport’s built on.”

“You see so many, honestly, intentional crashes used as highlight reels. How do you start penalizing people for it, in my opinion? Should it happen?”

“No. That guy’s got to live with that forever.“

“I’m the first to sit here and say I unintentionally crashed Denny at Martinsville, and it still bothers me that I crashed a guy for a win. That’s not how I race. So when somebody does it on purpose, they got to live with that.“

Watch This Story: Fans Demand Denny Hamlin Suspension After Bitter Alex Bowman Comments

Denny Hamlin’s Reaction to the 2021 Wreck vs. Alex Bowman’s Thoughts About Getting Wrecked by Him at Chicago

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Going back to the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Martinsville Speedway in 2021, it was quite evident that Denny Hamlin was angry with Alex Bowman for wrecking him.

Bowman was trying to overtake Hamlin for the lead when his No. 48 Chevrolet slid out of control and collided with Hamlin’s No. 11 Toyota. Hamlin lost the lead and many places when he spun out. While Bowman took home his fourth 2021 victory, Hamlin could only manage 24th place.

Hamlin was so angry with Bowman that he used his post-race interview to criticize him.

While talking to NBC Sports, Hamlin said: “He’s just a hack. He’s just an absolute hack. He gets his ass kicked by his teammates every week, and just, he’s [expletive] terrible. He’s just terrible, and he sees one opportunity and he takes it. But obviously, he’s got the fastest car every week, and he runs 10th. So he didn’t want to race us there. We had a good, clean race. I moved up as high as I could on the race track to give him all the room I could, and he still can’t drive.“

Although even Alex vented his frustration on social media through his story, it cannot be denied that he promptly cut down on calls for Hamlin or anyone’s suspension due to crashing, stating, ‘That’s what the sport is built on.’ 

When fans witnessed the disparity in reactions between the two famous drivers, they wasted no time calling out Hamlin, saying things like, “Suspend Cryin Denny Hamlin. He right-reared Bowman!” That was an exemplary instance of Bowman’s authentic self-shining through, even in the midst of one of the roughest races he’s ever had in his Cup Series career.

It’s inspiring to see sportsmen like Alex Bowman compete with a positive frame of mind and keep their composure despite adversity, as in the case of their recent races.

Denny Hamlin Pleads Guilty to Ruining Hendrick Motorsports Icon’s Race Because of His Poor Racing Ability in the Rain at Chicago