At Kansas Speedway, a heated moment unfolded between Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin during the final lap of the NASCAR Cup Series race, intensifying tensions as the playoffs progress. Hamlin’s move caused contact with Wallace, sending him into the wall and costing Wallace a chance to secure a spot in the Round of 8. Hamlin finished second while Wallace settled for fifth, facing an uphill battle to advance in the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs.
With the season shifting to the Charlotte Roval, Hamlin needs only a handful of points to move forward, but Wallace must win or make up 26 points on the cutoff line to keep his playoff hopes alive, or risk ending his season prematurely.
Aftermath of the Kansas Clash and Ongoing Rivalry
The incident left an immediate mark on Wallace, who expressed his frustration on the cooldown lap by giving Hamlin a rude gesture and muttering a disparaging remark. Hamlin, in turn, confronted the controversy openly on his podcast, titling the episode “I Won’t Apologize,” underscoring the unresolved tension between the two competitors.
When asked about how Hamlin’s refusal to apologize affected the dynamic, Wallace said,
“You hit it right on the head. I hate that it got to that point, and I expressed my displeasure to Denny (Hamlin) today (Saturday), and he totally respected that. I’m a guy that we have confrontation, and it is not settled – like it is lingering,”
Wallace said.
Wallace shared that he reminded Hamlin of the importance of focus amid the playoff pressure, especially with their upcoming challenge against Shane van Gisbergen (SVG). He explained,
“I expressed to him, that what you need from your driver is to be at 110 percent focused on what to do, how to execute, and how to go out there and beat SVG (Shane van Gisbergen). I had a dark cloud over my mind all week long, man, it’s not fair to my team. And I expressed that, he totally respected that, and frankly the conversation allows him to see things from a different perspective,”
Wallace said.
Despite the lingering frustration, Wallace described the conversation as going better than expected but emphasized the need to move past Kansas and concentrate on the race at the Charlotte Roval.
Bubba Wallace’s Growth Amid Playoff Challenges
Wallace qualified 12th at the Charlotte Roval, an improvement that highlights his development as a driver, especially on road courses, an area he once found difficult. Reflecting on his journey, Wallace recalled past struggles and moments of doubt earlier in his career.
“For the longest time I was always racing for job security, no matter how long you are signed, I go back to COTA, when I crashed out, third race of the season, I said I needed to be replaced because I was always just chasing the results and wasn’t living up to expectations for self, and I’m sure the expectations for the team. I was just kind of being a realistic, pessimistic – like I’m not doing the job right,”
Wallace shared.
Over the past year, Wallace has made key gains, including partnering with Truck Series standout crew chief Charles Denike, becoming a father, and winning the prestigious Brickyard 400. He acknowledges that learning to let go of small setbacks has played a key role in his improvement.
“Bubba Wallace wouldn’t be fighting for the win a year ago if his Kansas race started out like that (struggling). I think it is just legit, letting the little stuff go and allowing yourself as chance to breathe and looking at things differently. That has produced a lot of the results,”
Wallace said.
Focus Remains on Racing Amid Legal Uncertainties
Despite the ongoing lawsuit involving the team owners and NASCAR, Wallace and his crew are pressing forward, refusing to let off the gas mentally or physically. He emphasized the importance of maintaining focus by stating,
“We don’t go there and talk about December 1 [start of the trial]. It is our jobs. It is our livelihoods to give it everything we’ve got for the race that is ahead of us. That sounds like a very cliché answer, but I could care less. I’ve got five races left to go out and fight for a championship, and I set that tone from the beginning of the year. We’ve got to work out tails off to make it count each and every week,”
Wallace said.
Wallace’s frustration after the Kansas incident stems largely from his concern for those affected by the crash, as he explained,
“All of the people that got affected – that is where my frustration came from, because I felt like I was stepping up for them,”
Wallace said.
“While the conversation [with Hamlin] went really well – the pain is still there a little bit, but it definitely eased it. So I definitely appreciate Denny’s comments, never want him to back down in any scenario but I didn’t get the chance to see the rest of the corner, and so yeah, that sucks.”
Mutual Respect Despite Intense Competition
The incident at Kansas represents a pivotal “what if” moment for both Hamlin as an owner and Wallace as a driver, but Wallace remains pragmatic about their rivalry.
“I get the question a lot – ‘what is it like racing Denny, on the race track.’ No offense to him but I could give two s-its because he is a competitor, and he has labeled it that way. That was two competitors going for a win, and so as much so as it didn’t work out, I have to respect that,”
Wallace commented.
He also acknowledged the emotional toll of the situation with a perspective from Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“I think Dale (Earnhardt, Jr.) said it – I have every right to be pissed off about it.”
Looking forward, Wallace plans to channel that frustration into his performance at Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400 at the Charlotte Roval, where every point and position will be critical for his NASCAR Cup Series playoff hopes.
