Skip to main content
NASCAR Logo

Denny Hamlin breaks down drama between William Byron and Brad Keselowski's teams

DSprofileby:Dustin Schutte06/01/23

DLS1066206

Denny Hamlin
(Photo by Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin is offering his take on the small feud between the the teams of William Byron and Brad Keselowski that started last weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

During Monday’s race, controversy unfolded during green flag pit stops during Stage 1. Byron flew through Keselowski’s pit stall as members of the No. 6 pit team prepared for Keselowski’s arrival. The result was a close call involving the No. 24 car and Keselowski’s jack man.

Many wanted to point to Byron as the problem. However, Hamlin says it falls on Keselowski’s team.

“The 6 team is at fault, because the 24 is coming into his box and they can’t get to their car,” Hamlin said on his Actions Detrimental podcast. “Well, breaking news, if you choose to pit down there, right behind the No. 1 pit stall, that guy’s probably going to be running better than you all day.

“They knew the 24 was gonna be good. So, when you choose to pit behind a good car, you’re just gonna have to wait. You can’t just jump off the wall until he clears yours.”

The No. 24 team did not receive a penalty from NASCAR.

Byron proved to have the better call the entire day, finishing the Coca-Cola 600 in second place. Keselowski ended the race in 19th.

Denny Hamlin sounds off on Chase Elliott

Hamlin has had no trouble sharing his thoughts from a frustrating weekend at Charlotte. As if the tough weather conditions didn’t cause enough issues, he was knocked out of the Coca-Cola 600 by Chase Elliott, who right-rear hooked the No. 11 less than 200 laps into the race.

Needless to say, Hamlin wasn’t pleased. He took to his podcast to unleash some of his anger on the fellow NASCAR driver.

“There’s no explanation that he could possibly give, which he didn’t, of reason for hanging a left. He obviously didn’t want to admit it,” Hamlin said. “He did, ‘Ahh, I can’t hear you, sorry,’ and then, ‘Sorry, I can’t hear what you’re saying, but my car just couldn’t drive.’ B——t. The f—ing wheels were dead straight. Even after we crashed, and like destroyed our s—, he goes down the back straightaway and you look at the tires, the front tires are pointed the correct direction. I pointed out in the data that I tweeted that once he got into the wall, there was nothing wrong with his car.

“Everyone hits the wall. But he threw a hissy-fit, and he just hung a left on us in the most dangerous part of the racetrack that you possibly could. And it ended my day and his. In my opinion he shouldn’t be racing next weekend. NASCAR set a precedent last year on this.”

NASCAR slapped Elliott with a one-race suspension. He won’t participate in this weekend’s Enjoy Illinois 300.