The hearts were thumping fast, while the NASCAR fans held their breath to witness the showdown of the regular season. There is no denying the fact that the 2023 Cup Series has been eventful, marked by a twisted turn of fates and events. While the top 16 drivers shined in the elite series, many were left heartbroken. Nevertheless, it was the season’s final race on the iconic Daytona International Speedway that pulled the curtains down on the regular season.

Furthermore, the ultimate race on the superspeedway witnessed extreme aggression right from the get-go, as drivers made sure that it was either them or their teammates who seized the opportunity to taste victory. For Denny Hamlin, the scenario was filled with a dilemma, as he had to choose between his JGR teammates and his driver Bubba Wallace. However, it was not long before the fates intervened and changed the course of the race.

Denny Hamlin’s allegiance turned to dust after being outdueled by teammate

It was in the pre-race interview that the 3x Daytona winner shifted his allegiance to 23XI Racing driver Bubba Wallace over his teammate Ty Gibbs. He had blatantly revealed that he would rather be helping the #23 Toyota driver rather than his boss’s grandson Ty Gibbs. Following this, the #11 Toyota driver showed great momentum and out-dueled the pole winner Chris Buescher. He was on the verge of winning Stage 1 after taking the lead from Chase Briscoe on Lap 23.

However, the stars were not aligned for Hamlin, as his teammate and the regular-season championship contender Martin Truex Jr passed the #11 Toyota from the inside on Turn 3 in order to collect the extra stage points and solidify his championship-winning probabilities. Moreover, it was fellow JGR driver Christopher Bell who provided the much-needed push to Truex Jr and propelled him to take the Stage 1 win.

Hamlin was sent trailing and he finished 8th in the stage. Moreover, the irony of him being outmaneuvered by his teammates just days after his comments was not lost on the spectators and the viewers.

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Fans slam Denny Hamlin for prioritizing his ownership over his teammates

It was apparent that Hamlin’s plan for supporting Bubba Wallace in order to confirm his playoff position had gone awry, as the Joe Gibbs Racing drivers had thrown a wrench to upset his plan.

Owing to this fact, fans seemed to be rejoicing in Hamlin’s struggles and bashed him for being a bad teammate to the other JGR drivers, especially Ty Gibbs who was in dire need of a victory. Fans took to Twitter to express their as they snub Denny Hamlin for his latest actions on the track.

Many sarcastically wrote, “Way to go Dennis.”

“Lol, Denny Hamlin MTJ, Stage 1 winner!!”

“Hahaha Denny.”

Others wrote, “You know Denny’s salty about that.”

“Bubba in shambles.”

Read More: NASCAR Insider Unmasks Bubba Wallace’s Path to Glory: “Best Defense Is Great Offence”