Denny Hamlin warned about retaliating against Kyle Larson at Nashville: ‘Worry about the grab assing later’

Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson rekindled their budding rivalry during Sunday’s Ally 400 at Nashville Superspeedway.

At this rate, it’s almost a weekly thing. This time, it was Larson who drove Hamlin up the track at the end of Stage 2. Hamlin responded by giving Larson a light nudge after the stage came to an end. Hamlin told his team, ‘Alright, I’ll get him,” which prompted crew chief Chris Gabehart to yell at him multiple times to stop.

“We’re gonna win the race, worry about the grab assing later,” Gabehart told Hamlin.

A little bit of extracurricular activities at the stage conclusion. 😅 pic.twitter.com/ClnKa8c4mg

— NASCAR (@NASCAR) June 30, 2024

The two drivers have had their fair share of on-track incidents over the years, but it’s only intensified in recent weeks. During Stage 2 at Iowa, it was Hamlin, a lap down at the time, running into the back of Larson’s rear while the Hendrick Motorsports driver was leading the race. Then came this past Sunday’s race at New Hampshire, when the two were banging doors racing for position before the expected severe weather came through.

That particular incident prompted Larson’s spotter, Tyler Monn, to radio to him, “He runs you like that every time, you know why, because you let it happen.” Larson didn’t appreciate those words from Monn, and promptly told him to silence himself.

“Shut the f*** up,” Larson told Monn.

Whatever the case, Larson did get the better end of Sunday’s on-track scrap with Hamlin.

Denny Hamlin shoots down idea he has rivalry brewing with Kyle Larson

What’s interesting about this apparent beef is that the two are friends outside the racetrack. And though it certainly appears there’s a professional rivalry between them, Hamlin, from his point of view, doesn’t see it that way.

“It’s not [a rivalry],” Hamlin said earlier this weel. “I like Kyle and listen, just watch the race and we all do this to each other all the time. I don’t know why there’s an emphasis, is it because we’re up front all the time? Maybe that’s it, but the 5 and 12 [Ryan Blaney] ran each other up the racetrack. It’s racing, it’s short-track racing — get over it.”

As for whether Larson and his team considers it a rivalry, Hamlin simply does not care.

“I don’t care whether they do or don’t,” Hamlin said.