Denny Hamlin reveals what he said to Chase Elliott after Clash win

Denny Hamlin had some words with Chase Elliott after the latter got by the former for the win during this past weekend’s edition of The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium for the NASCAR Cup Series.

It was a major win for Elliott, as he’s hoping to build some momentum for a bounce-back 2025 campaign, after he only won one race in 2024. While some drivers might’ve taken the rough racing to heart, Hamlin let bygones be bygones, as he revealed what he told the sport’s most popular wheelman after the race.

“Just great job. Yeah, it’s just — a congratulations, and great job. I wasn’t upset about anything happened on track,” Hamlin revealed, regarding what he told Elliott following their battle on the track, via the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast. “I think that’s part of it. If you’re leading by quarter car length, prepare for contact in the middle, or on quarter entry.

“That’s what you’re going to have, and the people behind you are not going to be patient knowing that they can’t sit behind you but for so long. So, I thought it was all fair game. Yeah, it was solid weekend for that No. 9 team.”

While Elliott had a successful weekend in Winston Salem, Hamlin did as well. He was able to win his heat race, and perform well in the main event, all while working with a new crew chief in Chris Gayle. The win eluded him, but Hamlin’s won plenty of other iterations of The Clash, and he’s not exactly keen on keeping it at Bowman Gray Stadium moving forward.

“I think you’ve probably got to keep moving it,” Hamlin said, regarding whether Winston Salem should be an option for The Clash in 2026. “You know, I think that’s what kind of — I think people tuned in to Bowman Gray because it’s a track they had not seen before. I think they tuned in to LA the first year so much because it’s a track they had not seen before. Like, how are these guys going to navigate it? How are they going to adapt to it? I think, if you go back in consecutive years, there’s a little bit of a — there’s not a wow or a shock factor.

“The racing could be better. We could end up with a great side-by-side finish. You never know, but I just think there’s — not fatigue, but there’s just, there’s a known to it, versus the unknown that you have when you go to somewhere new for the first time.”

Regardless, The Clash served its purpose for Denny Hamlin, even if Chase Elliott out-raced him in the end. The No. 11 team will be on a mission in 2025, and their driver is more motivated than ever to capture a long elusive Cup Series title this season. Time will tell if he’s able to get it done.