Denny Hamlin responds to 'damning' audio from Austin Dillon radio

Denny Hamlin is chiming in on the controversial audio from Austin Dillon’s No. 3 team that came to light following allegations of race manipulation at Martinsville Speedway this past weekend.

Toyota and Chevrolet have both been accused of having their grubby fingerprints all over the finish of the Xfinity 500, as Bubba Wallace, Ross Chastain and the aforementioned Dillon are in the news for all the wrong reasons. Wallace seemingly slowed down to allow manufacturer teammate Christopher Bell to pass him on the final lap, hoping to send Bell to the Championship 4.

Meanwhile, Chastain and Dillon seemed to create a blockade, which in turn allowed Byron to keep his position on the track and stay ahead of Bell. However, Dillon’s team may have spilled the beans, as their radio chatter revealed there was some foul play in the works from Chevrolet.

For context, Dillon’s team talked about “knowing the deal” and then someone asked “Does the 1 [Chastain] crew chief know the deal?” Additionally, Chastain’s team talked about Byron’s position during the final lap of the race.

NASCAR on TSN shared the radio communication and mentioned that it is “eerily similar to Richmond in 2013, which saw so much controversy.” The Richmond race in 2013 had three teams (Michael Waltrip Racing, Penske Racing and Front Row Motorsports) that were involved in two separate, but intertwined incidents.

Evidently, Hamlin believes the radio conversations prove one thing — Dillon and Chevrolet are guilty of having a role in deciding the Championship 4.

“That’s what tells me that the manufacturer had an involvement in the discussion,” Hamlin said, regarding Dillon’s radio chatter and his co-host proclaiming it as the “most damning” piece of evidence. “But we don’t know. We’re speculating because we’re not part of that organization. But I just don’t know. I don’t know what was communicated throughout the week.

“We’re giving our opinion on what happened, and obviously, from my standpoint, the conclusion I draw is that the manufacturer had a role in it.”

In the end, it was Chevrolet and Byron who had the last laugh. Wallace’s tactic for Toyota might’ve worked, but Bell rode the wall in the final turn, and NASCAR deemed it a safety violation, penalizing him and sending the No. 24 to Phoenix instead.

Regardless, it doesn’t seem as if anyone involved should feel good about what transpired at Martinsville this past weekend. Chevrolet and Toyota will still have a shot at winning the 2024 Cup Series title though, with the aforementioned Byron representing the bowties, and Tyler Reddick riding for Toyota.