Bubba Wallace rolled into Kansas knowing the stakes. Sitting 27 points below the playoff cut line after New Hampshire, every lap carried extra weight. Starting deeper in the field, he clawed his way forward, putting the No. 23 Toyota inside the top 10 and reminding everyone just how much fight he had left in this playoff run.

By the time overtime rolled around, Wallace wasn’t just hanging on. Rather, he was in the thick of it, trading blows with his team co-owner, Denny Hamlin, for a shot at the win. The showdown had fans on edge, but in the blink of an eye, it ended in chaos. Wallace found himself scraping the wall, Hamlin tangled up, and the moment sparked more than just debate. It sparked disappointment.

Freddie Kraft is disappointed in Denny Hamlin’s actions

The Denny Hamlin-Bubba Wallace incident allowed Chase Elliott’s Chevrolet to rocket past the Toyotas of Hamlin, Wallace, Bell, Briscoe, and Reddick to claim victory. And Freddie Kraft couldn’t help but sum up the incident, “It’s unfortunate you see the end result where we, we take five Toyotas in the top five with the white flag and, and let a Chevy win the race is not is not ideal.” The incident occurred after Hamlin, struggling with power steering issues, raced Wallace side-by-side through the final corner.

Both Toyotas lost momentum from contact, handing the win and an automatic playoff berth to Chevrolet’s Elliott, while Bubba Wallace finished fifth and Hamlin second. The reaction from both camps was immediate and intense. Wallace, never one to mince words, showed his frustration by passing Hamlin on the cooldown lap and flashing a middle finger.

Post-race, Wallace admitted, “Two years ago, I’d probably say something dumb… He’s a dumba*s for that move, for sure. I don’t care if he’s my boss or not. But we’re going for the win. I hate that we gave it to Chevrolet there.” Hamlin, meanwhile, described his own frustration, saying, “Just disappointed… would’ve been 60 for me.”

Internally, the 23XI camp voiced a mix of understanding and regret. “I’m not really mad at him. I’m a little disappointed,” Kraft reflected, alluding to the playoff context. With “our season… on the line there for us,” every point mattered for Wallace’s slim playoff hopes. With Wallace finishing fifth, he now sits in the tenth position with a 26-point deficit heading to the Charlotte Roval.

Wallace now needs a win or a highly strong finish if he wants to make it to the Round of 8. Similarly, with Tyler Reddick, too, below the cutoff line, 23XI’s playoff hopes hang in the balance. Both drivers face a must-deliver moment at the Roval, where strategy, survival, and a little bit of luck could decide whether 23XI keeps its championship dreams alive. Or watch them fade away.

However, as Hamlin revealed, the win here would have carried a greater significance for him.

Denny Hamlin on his Kansas heartbreak

Denny Hamlin’s emotional response after the Kansas race revealed the deep personal drive behind his fierce competitiveness. “Just super disappointed, obviously. Wanted it bad,” Hamlin admitted, reflecting on leading 159 laps but falling short in the closing seconds.

“It would’ve been 60 for me. Team just did an amazing job with the car, it was really fast. Gave me everything I needed. Got the restart I needed, just couldn’t finish it there on the last corner,” he said, visibly affected by the narrow loss to Chase Elliott. Hamlin also revealed the physical and mechanical struggles he faced in the final laps.

He described, “No power steering in that last run, low voltage… Just a lot of things.” These challenges made handling the car taxing, especially during the intense restart battle with Bubba Wallace. “I just wanted it a little too hard,” Hamlin confessed, emphasizing how much the victory meant personally, including wanting it for his dad.

Despite the heartbreak, Denny Hamlin expressed respect for the racing and recognized the competitive spirit of the battle: “I’d have raced everyone the same way. I’m going for 60. No one will ever accuse me of laying over for anyone for a win.” He also hinted at future opportunities, expressing optimism for the Charlotte Roval, where his team has shown strength.

Hamlin’s candid emotions and determination to chase victory underscore the high stakes and fierce passion of NASCAR’s playoff battles. His Kansas rollercoaster, from dominating performance to razor-thin defeat, captures the unpredictable drama that defines this season’s championship chase.