Puffed up with pride, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin‘s swagger echoed in Bristol. Basking in his glory, the 42-year-old veteran exclaimed, “I beat your favorite driver,” rubbing the salt into the wounds of a very hostile crowd. The packed stands at the half-a-mile track rained boos and birds down on the driver as he stood in the victory lane embracing his villainous side.

While the reigning champion, Joey Logano, and his fellow Ford driver and retirement-bound veteran Kevin Harvick met their match, exiting out on the eliminator, The Mayor of NASCAR, Jeff Burton, and the NBC reporter analyze the 500-lap race. Speaking on NASCAR on NBC podcast, Nate Ryan and the NBC commentator methodically dissected the race as the pundits gave an expert analysis.

Nate Ryan joins “The Mayor” Jeff Burton as the duo underlines Bristol’s takeaways

1. NBC reporter, Nate Ryan kicks things off as he welcomes Jeff Burton.
2. Stewart Haas Racing’s Only Playoff Hope Dies a Slow Death
3. Reason Behind Tony Stewart’s Misery This Season
4. Next-Gen Cars are Hindering Drivers’ Ability
5. Denny Hamlin Leads the Drivers Movement
6. Drivers’ Take Notes From the Likes of Tom Brady
7. Has Kevin Harvick mentally “Checked out”?
8. The Mental Battle at the Twilight of One’s Career
9. Joey Logano Unsurprisingly Exits The Playoffs
10. Michael Jordan’s Protege’s Perspective After Astonishing Critics
11. Who Will Be the Next Victim?
    
12. Who can break free of HMS vs. JGR?
    
13. Denny Hamlin Completes Transformation to Kyle Busch
14. NASCAR’s ingenious fan interaction idea hits the jackpot

Watch the full podcast here:

As the playoff action zooms past the first-round eliminator, getting rid of four drivers including the reigning champion, a seasoned veteran along with Ricky Stenhouse Jr and Michael McDowell, NASCAR’s post season is unraveling to be anyone’s game.

READ MORE: Denny Hamlin Spits Out the “Toughest Job in the Industry” Involving Bubba Wallace and Partner Michael Jordan

Moreover, with NASCAR having a new villain in the form of Denny Hamlin taking a quick heel turn, the 2023 season certainly is heading toward an epic finale.