Denny Hamlin calls out Austin Cindric for wrecking other drivers: 'Starting to get on my nerves'

Austin Cindric found himself in the middle of another questionable racing incident during Sunday’s race at Martinsville. Racing for 27th on Lap 201, Cindric and Riley Herbst made contact down the frontstretch.

Cindric was sandwiched between Herbst and AJ Allmendinger as the three entered the corner. Cindric appeared to slightly left rear hook Herbst, who went around to bring out the caution. Denny Hamlin, Herbst’s 23XI Racing boss, said on Monday’s “Actions Detrimental” podcast that Cindric “seems to be losing his mind a little bit more than usual,” and it’s starting to get on his nerves.

“As a car owner, I’m not liking Austin Cindric spinning out Riley Herbst and it’s starting to get on my nerves a little bit that Austin seems to be losing his mind a little bit more than usual. I can only say that because I did give him a lot of credit earlier this year on his superspeedway driving and being smart inside the racecar. But he’s starting to be a repeat offender, in my opinion,” Hamlin said. “When things aren’t going his way, he’s wrecking guys.

“I don’t know how NASCAR will look at this. It’s different because it’s not a right rear hook, it’s essentially kind of a left rear hook but just kind of shove into the corner. NASCAR will probably view it as a racing incident, but anyone with any driving experience can say he got pissed he got squeezed and he wrecked the 35 [Herbst].”

Racing three-wide at @MartinsvilleSwy never ends well. pic.twitter.com/Pnq17RoJOB

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) March 30, 2025

Austin Cindric flirting with suspension in 2025

Cindric was previously involved in an on-track incident with Ty Dillon earlier this month at COTA. On Lap 4, Dillon pushed Cindric off the track. Cindric then caught up and leaned into the right rear bumper of Dillon, hooking him and causing him to spin into the wall. NASCAR docked him 50 points and fined him $50,000. In truth, Cindric could have been suspended.

He wasn’t, and Hamlin doesn’t believe he will be for his contact with Herbst. But Hamlin still thinks Cindric needs to clean up his conduct on the racetrack.

“The 35 came off the wall a little bit more than he should have, but you also had the 16 [Allmendinger]. There was no room for three cars,” Hamlin said. “Between the three of them, the inside and the outside guy didn’t leave enough room for Cindric. Cindric, I think was going to hold his line, but they just squeezed him. He felt, evidently, it was more Riley’s fault than Dinger’s.

“Cindric’s getting a couple of close ones here where NASCAR needs to start taking habitual behavior into account. It happened with Austin Dillon at Gateway a year or so ago where he right reared him. We had the Ty Dillon thing this year and now this. It’s not looking good, and Cindric needs to clean that up.”