Before the race at Martinsville, multiple storylines were promised. The occasion was a do-or-die situation for the drivers below the cutoff mark like Denny Hamlin. Although Denny didn’t have a sour finish and was on the podium, his only regret is that it could have been better.

NASCAR is all about moving into the gaps left by one’s opponents. Eventually, the race winner, Ryan Blaney, did precisely that as various factors enveloped Hamlin’s chances with uncertainty. One of the most significant contributors to Denny’s elimination in the penultimate race of the season was the reigning champion, Joey Logano. The spat even extended to their team radios as Hamlin was seen swearing at Logano’s wreck in the 273rd lap.

Denny Hamlin dices deeper into Joey Logano’s wreck that ruined his race

A 17-point deficit for Denny Hamlin meant two possibilities for him to qualify. A win would have secured the deal for him, which was the JGR veteran’s original plan. Based on points, Hamlin has never expressed a wish to fight for a spot in Phoenix.

However, his task would have been more significant if he had approached the race to gather points. That would also mean Hamlin catching up to #24 William Byron, who already had a 30-point lead over the cutoff line before the race. But the 42-year-old could only have qualified in case Byron didn’t finish the race for some reason in that case.

One of the turning points of the race was the final caution flag of the race. Team Penske star Logano indirectly helped out his teammate Blaney by collecting Ty Gibbs, a teammate of Hamlin. A bump into the rear of the #54 Camry of Ty Gibbs. Explaining the turn of events on his podcast, Actions Detrimental, Hamlin revealed,

“I texted Joey after the race and I said, Hey why would you do that? So there was a restart where I got in line, for I was battling with 54. I cleared him and pulled down the line. Then, the #54 got in line. The #22 is a car length back from the #54 and just powerdrives him into the corner, into me. I nearly wreck, and it destroys the 54 and causes a huge pileup.”

The following pileup collected many cars, and caution flags came out. This incident, being the final disruption of the evening, didn’t help Hamlin either. Hamlin had to start in 11th on the final restart, increasing the distance between him and Blaney. While the #11 driver ultimately pushed forward to a P3 finish, he would have liked a P1 better. Moreover, his position in the race kept deteriorating at every stage.

“I just want a clarification from Logano. Why’d you do that?” asked a frustrated Hamlin. “Were you trying to hit him into me? Because that’s what it looked like. Me and Ty had been going at for a certain amount of time. I’m like, Oh, that’s right. Ty talked to me about this on the way to the racetrack on Friday.”

Could Hamlin have won the race or not is an argument that is unavoidable when discussing Martinsville. After all, everyone expected him to be the frontrunner this year in the earlier stages of the playoffs.

Hamlin becomes a mentor for JGR teammate Ty Gibbs

Ty Gibbs had come off a great qualifying session. Recording the second fastest time, he started in the front row alongside Martin Truex Jr., another big name to miss Phoenix. The situation that the #22 driver brought forth left Ty with few options. Forcing him on the turn meant a slight nudge would have derailed half of the grid behind them, which happened irrespective.

Hamlin came to Ty’s rescue here and shared some of his experience and knowledge with the youngster. “My advice to Ty was to extend the outer branch first. When he catches you next time, let him go.” stated Hamlin.

“He’ll notice that. He has the unrest. Whenever he catches you, he’s probably thinking, Oh sh*t. Gotta race this guy again. In the minute you pull over and let this guy go, he’s like,’ Oh, I appreciate that. This just starts a series of good deeds between the two of you.”

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Talking about his position in the argument between the two drivers who were the focal point of the crash, he then added, “I think Ty had a legitimate argument when talking to Joey about this a little bit. I was kind of a middleman, listening to his side and Ty’s side. I think Joey gave Ty a chance to give him back the good deed. Hey, if Joey pressured him right after the restart and was all over his a**, Ty didn’t do what he said he was gonna do, which was give him the spot.”

Given the expletive-filled rant about Logano’s actions that Denny Hamlin spoke of on his team radio, it is no surprise that he wanted to favor his teammate Gibbs. But in hindsight, he does seem to have forgiven Logano for his decisive mistake.

“I’ve seen both sides of it, but I side with Ty a little bit here. He was just running a race. He didn’t do anything ill-willed towards the 22 on that restart. The 22 just used him up and turned and knocked us up. So, I didn’t quite understand it and then realized that all these are beef. That’s where this is coming from. I thought it was bad luck for Joey for just power-driving the kid into the corner.”

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At the end of the day, Hamlin must go all out for a championship win again next year. 2023 seemed like a genuine possibility, but looking at things now, the curse’s effect might be too strong.