My Twitter mentions have been on fire since last night, when I dared mention there wasn’t much difference between what Denny Hamlin did at Martinsville and what Chase Elliott did at Phoenix.
Many of you are absolutely incredulous over this take, questioning my sanity/judgment and openly accusing me of somehow being a Hamlin Fanboi.
I understand why people might think the situations are different: Hamlin appeared to completely wipe out Elliott at Martinsville, while Elliott gave Hamlin a couple warning shots before running him into the Phoenix wall (some of you dispute Elliott even did that, which means we’re just not going to agree on this one).
But here’s where I’m coming from on this:
— In a format where making it to the final race is all that matters, Hamlin took away Elliott’s chance at Martinsville. It doesn’t matter all that much whether Elliott got moved up the track, got spun or got outright crashed in that situation, because the result was essentially the same — a shot at Homestead was denied. By the way, Elliott has gotten a completely free pass for doing the same thing to Brad Keselowski at Martinsville; his execution may have been better than Hamlin’s because Keselowski didn’t wreck, but the thought was the same: I’m going to move him out of the way.
—In a format where making it to the final race is all that matters, Elliott took away Hamlin’s chance at Phoenix. Hamlin didn’t wreck the moment Elliott forced him into the wall, but the contact resulted in a tire rub that was like a time bomb that exploded a few laps later. Some of you argued Hamlin should have just pitted — so it’s somehow his fault — but pitting under green in that situation would have ended Hamlin’s chances just like the wreck did. Either way, once Elliott drove Hamlin into the wall, it was Game Over for Hamlin. Elliott couldn’t have calculated what the end result would be in that situation, but his thought was the same: I’m going to move him out of the way.
I truly believe drivers don’t know what’s going to happen after they make contact — whether it’s going to cut someone’s tire or spin them or what. For example: Hamlin wasn’t trying to outright crash Elliott at Martinsville (what would he gain from that?!); he was trying to do the same thing Elliott did moments earlier to Keselowski. But the combination of Elliott getting on the brakes and Hamlin trying to move him at the same time resulted in a spin.
Again, most of you feel differently about that. We’re not going to be able to come to an agreement if so.
But no matter how you view it, I don’t know why people would want to argue Elliott didn’t get his revenge on Sunday. He totally did! Fans clamored for Elliott to do something in retaliation, and he delivered.
“A wise man once told me that he’ll race guys how they race him with a smile on his face, so that’s what I did today,” Elliott said. “I raced him how he raced me, and that’s the way I saw it.”
But now many of you are saying it was different because he didn’t straight up crash Hamlin in the moment, whereas Hamlin did that to Elliott at Martinsville.
Whaaaaat? The outcome was the same!
Hamlin denied Elliott’s chance to make Homestead three weeks ago, and Elliott got his payback when Hamlin was in position at Phoenix.
The thing that I don’t understand about these types of moves is doesn’t that essentially mean you won’t be winning the championship? With Denny’s move on Chase, he essentially made sure Chase was gonna make sure he wasn’t gonna win right? I think there is no way Chase races him that way if DH ran Chase clean at Martinsville. On the flip side if chase made it in the Chase yesterday…won’t DH make sure the same thing?
Bingo
I thought retaliation was against rules. Which my question stands as Why retaliate if you have the better car? Seems both are thumb suckers when that better car just can’t seem to show it better.
Bump and run has always been a part of NASCAR for the 30 years I’ve been following it. When executed properly, one car moves up the track, one passes under, and both continue. That’s what happened between Chase and BK earlier in the Martinsville race. It was poorly executed a few laps later with Hamlin jacking up Elliott and putting him into the wall. Had it not been for this punt, Elliott might have gone on and won the race, or perhaps not. We’ll never know.
Any apology by Hamlin after the fact fell on deaf ears, mine included. I fully expected Elliott to retaliate, but only when the stakes were as high. It wouldn’t have happened with Elliot running in the top ten and Hamlin two laps down. But the conditions were ripe with Hamlin leading the race and on his way to securing both a win and a playoff berth.
Was it intentional? Yes. Was it retaliation? Yes. Did Elliott send a message to Hamlin and all other drivers? Loud and clear. Is it over? Probably, unless Hamlin decides to continue it. I don’t think he will. He knows that Elliott will retaliate at the worst possible time.
Very well said Mr. Hudson ????????
Chase moved Brad out of the way at Martinsville and would have done the same to Kenseth if he had the chance even though he has no history with Matt. And anyone else that needed a win to get to the final four would have done the same; its the stakes are so high. Chase needed to get by Hamlin to have any shot to win so he was doing whatever was necessary. Hamlin’s problem was he sent Chase into the wall hard, if he drove him up or did the light tap like Edwards did at Bristol it wouldnt have looked so bad. His execution was poor. But I suspect even with better execution people would still be upset because a lot of people want to see Chase get his first win.
I completely agree with you. I agreed with your first tweet, and because I did, I’ve received some pretty nasty comments, so I know how you feel. NASCAR created this circus with “win & you’re in”
Results the same. Both exciting to fans. But I doubt we would have seen the aggressive side of Chase without Marts. It made Chase a different driver (for the better). I think Chase would have raced #11 basically the same had a different car crash him at Marts. He now understands, you are there to Race to Win and not to make friends. Now we just need to get Larson to race with more aggression and we will have a great set of drivers to replace those leaving.
I’m getting off topic here, but I personally think Larson is a very aggressive driver.
Agreed
What about Chase running BK up the track a few races ago? They all do it, and it will continue to happen. That’s NASCAR! And I do agree with you about Kyle Larson. He’s going to be one to watch next year if they can keep their cars together.
rubbing fenders is racing, jacking someone up at a turn when u know it will actually wreck them is a difference. Is what it is
Jeff, You said exactly what I’ve have been trying to say since Martinsville! Thank you! I couldn’t have said this any better! Now I don’t claim to be the biggest Denny Hamlin fan, in fact I like Matt Kenneth as well as Martin Truex Jr. however the fact still remains Chase did at Martinsville to Brad as what Denny did to Chase except for Chase wrecked! In my opinion they were all going to do whatever it would’ve taken to get their respectful teams to Homestead. I just want to Thank you for writing such a great article because I see it exactly the way you see it!
i was at Martinsville and I’m not a chase fan.brad,chase,joey,and kyle all raced each other hard whole race but they all stopped short of wrecking each other.rubbing is racing.but jacking a cars whole back end isn’t rubbing but wrecking them.maybe denny didn’t mean to boot him but he did so he can quit crying and realize karma is hell.all he had to do was let chase go cause he was racing brad who he had beaten easily.thats the story here is why didn’t denny let chase pass then he beats brad so he can blame himself for not racing smart.
the 24 did not wreck the 11. sure the 11 eventually ended up having a cut tire that put him in the wall. but if you show me a driver that could figure out how to cut some ones tire down with out doing it to him self then I’ll give you a million dollars. Denny should had just pulled over and let the 24 go. he was clearly faster and if it was not clear early in the raise when the 24 put the bumper to the 11 it should have been clear any of the 2 laps prior to the one where the 24 moved him up the track. and everyone can spar us the Denny was trying to let him go thing to. If he was truly trying to let him go you pull down and the straight away like the 11 and everyone else always has done for 20 years and let him go. Denny has been his own worst enemy. his is in his own head more then any one else combined. that race unraveled for the 11 like so many have in the past. it started with a pit road miscue and went from there. multiple CC’s and still he same old problem year after year. You have to know who you are racing. he had a buffer to the 2. there was nothing he was going to be able to do with the 24 at that point. you race your own race and not worry about things you cant control. you work all year to get be apart of the championship 4, you know HMS is one of your best tracks. the championship is in your sights and all you had to do what pull down on the straight and let the 24 go. a simple concept for most, not DH or the 11 team.
Go watch it again. The 24 bumps him in the turn which makes the 11 go up the track. There is plenty of room to the inside for Chase to turn now, but he doesn’t. Hamlin was letting him go there, Chase had determined he was going to wall him at that point.
Did the 24 jack up the 11 in the middle of the corner which IS 100% PUNT INTO THE WALL … no way these two incidents are equal …
Earlier in the race when Denny had the better car he was bumping and leaning on the 24 when he didn’t need to or gain any benefit from. Why? All he had to do was stay in front of the 12. That was the only thing that mattered for championship run. Chase slammed the door on him at corner exit, this is not the same as M-ville. 11 could have lifted. 24 was just wrecked. Not quite the same level of aggression imo. Denny appears to be Denny’s biggest problem, Harvick showed that couple years ago too.
Spot on. I’ll add his “all we ever do is win” comment from a few years ago pops into my head every time he has issues. My wife is right there with me.. “Yup you’re winning Denny!”
Yes, Denny is his own worst enemy. I personally don’t think he will ever win a championship!
Ok thats a fair take and we can agree.However my only issue is with Denny’s thought process.Did he really think that he was gonna be raced without contact from the 24?Why did Denny not just let him go because as long as he finished in front of Kez it was a mute point.Kez hadnt shown speed all day and 24 was good but not great.At the end of the day Denny put himself in the situation and didnt use his head.While Martinsville incident might have been an accident,it was a grave mistake as far as his championship chances.If he woulda just moved Chase,he wouldnt be so far in the hole and in a must win situation.Look at Kez,was leading at Martinsville Chase moved him still ends up in decent shape going into the next 2 races.
That would have been the smart thing to do, but race car drivers don’t think like that. They are kinda like dogs that chase cars! A dog will chase a car even though it’s a stupid thing to do. Denny is a racer.
Well, I don’t know if Denny did or didn’t try to let Chase go. But if Chase had won the race, finishing in front of Keselowski would also have been a moot point.
I think there are two differences. Neither insignificant.
First, wrecking has a higher risk of injury than a moving someone into the wall in the way Chase moved Denny.
Second, as evidenced by the fact that chase raced Kenneth cleanly, its very possible that chase would not have raced Denny the way he did but for Martinsville.
The second difference is a bit subjective. The first is not. Wrecking another driver is says “I’m willing to risk his injury in the heat of a race to beat him”. Ending a drivers chance without wrecking him says, “I’m willing move him to beat him and I’m skilled enough to do it without resorting to risking his injury.”
???????? Doug!
One thing different for Hamlin and Elliott was that Hamlin was provided the opportunity to avoid an issue at Phoenix. If he let Elliott by in the corner, and just followed, he could have had the opportunity to get in by points alone. Instead, he opted for side-by-side and essentially left himself vulnerable for any payback.
With the way the 2 and the 21 were handling at the end, it was Hamlin’s best opportunity to just points race this one.
The thing that kills me about the Martinsville bump is if that had happened to any other driver (besides the 88) nobody would have cried. But it happened to Bill Elliot’s son who was handed the iconic 24 car and predetermined to be the “new face of nascar.” People get bumped and spun in those corners at EVERY Martinsville race! But for some reason this time was different… I’ve watched the wreck probably 100 times now, Denny barely moves him. Maybe Chase’s inexperience caused him to spin and wreck? Brad didnt wreck when Chase did it him… This is no attack on Chase, I think he’s cool. The side choosings I just find unfair. I thought Msville and Phoenix were awesome races. I was a hater of the new format of the playoffs and stages, but honestly now I love them. Food for thought – Never forget when Kenseth bulldozed Logano a few years ago in the chase at Martinsville – epic!!
Why is no one remembering how the Martinsville race actually went. The 24 and 2 were side by side heading into the corner and essentially drifted up the track. Hamlin was directly and fully behind the 24 car, not a nose or any other part of the car to the inside of the 24, just rammed straight into the back of him. Two very different scenarios that are not comparable. Likely every single driver I stock car racing at almost any level has done something similar to the 24-2 case. very few do what the 11 did to the 24 as in most local short tracks it is a penalty for rough driving and you go to the rear of the field. Saw it happen three times this pat season at my local dirt track. last year one driver got DQ for rough (more like stupid) driving.
I also agree that the phoenix scenario does not happen without the Martinsville scenario.
I remember! Unfortunately Chase Elliott’s fans think he can do no wrong. Sorry but it’s short track racing! Any driver in Denny’s place would have done the same thing. I can’t remember who said it, but someone asked a drive what they would do to win a race and they said “I’d take out my own mother”.
It was Mike Skinner. He never did get that win but he took out many mothers.
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Your a freaking idiot and apparently blind
I just disagree with the term revenge. To me that is doing something just to exact punishment on an individual who you believe has wronged you. For example see Matt Kenseth. Here Chase was racing as he was raced.
Does not matter who wrecked who. The winner is NASCAR. This used to be a weekly thing until they came up with all of their silly rules.
Let me state my bias up front – I’m a HUGE Chase Elliott fan and I’ve never liked Denny Hamlin and really don’t care for BK either. That said …
1) What happened with BK and Chase is what happened between Hamlin and Chase. Did Chase race him hard and try to get them to back down? Yup. That’s what NASCAR is about. Rubbin’ is racin’, son.
2) What Hamlin did at Martinsville was overly aggressive. But I get it. You are going for a championship. But if you drive like that, you need to know people are going to be mad.
3) What really peeves me and no one has really talked about is how Hamlin told multiple stories in the immediate aftermath of Martinsville. It’s like BK and Gordon a couple of years ago at Texas. You want to race aggressive? Fine. That’s cool. Just own it. It was either “I had people pushing me” (a lie) or “I took his tires off the ground” (Closer) to “I don’t race like that in the 10K races I’ve had” (back to lying). If you want to be aggressive, you need to own it.
4) Did Hamlin give Chase the lane? Maybe. Did Chase race Hamlin harder than he needed to? Absolutely. And that’s the core of what is different between what Chase did and what Hamlin did. Chase owned it and said, “You want to push me? Fine. I’ll push you back.” And that’s why Chase is the “white hat” in all of this. Hamlin started the fight but Chase will finish it.
The execution of the move matters. Moving people up the track or giving them a shot on a short track is acceptable. Jacking them up from behind heading into a corner basically giving them no chance to control their car is unacceptable. The fans know this hence the hail of boos towards Hamlin. It’s that simple.
If it would have been Kyle Busch that Denny wrecked at Martinsville, no one would have cared! It was because Chase is the new “darling” of NASCAR. Get over it & move on.
Amen Deb ^^
Thank you for this. I think it’s ridiculous that you should even have to explain this because it just makes sense.
It’s not a coincidence that Denny Hamlin was the only one Chase Elliott ran into the wall. He basically said it was payback. People can’t have it both ways.
Chase Elliott made his bed the moment he crashed Ty Dillon at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in the Truck Series. Do whatever you can to win, even if you have to wreck a guy.
Hamlin played by Elliott’s rules the Chase got even. I’m sure NASCAR will tell then by Saturday that it’s over and to move in.
I absolutely agree with you. Chase is no angel! With NASCAR’S “win & you’re in” format this is how it will be.
A drivers job is to win, for his team & for his sponsors.
Why was Dale Earnhardt such a hero and loved by fans when he did this sort of thing all the time? Did they argue about it this much then?
Nope! People loved Dale! And he was the dirtiest driver in NASCAR! I think it’s all of the new, young fans that have a problem with what Denny did. It was just short track racing!
Dale got plenty of boos in the 90s. If you think everyone loved Dale you are very wrong. You either loved him or hated him. if he wasn’t your driver, you hated him
I think they were the same thing, and one was payback to the other. They both didn’t make it, and now they are even. And that is 100% okay. That being said, I don’t know why Hamlin feels the need to always take an “I’m so surprised you’re upset” approach. He did it with Danica a few years ago, he did it at Martinsville, and he did it again yesterday. He’s a phenomenal and veteran driver. He should know how it was going to end.
Thanks for the great article, Jeff.
I couldn’t have said it any better! I’m not a fan of either one of these guys, and Denny has always been a whiner. And Chase thinks his name should be the reason to let him win.
They’re even. Denny made it so Chase probably wasn’t going to make the finale, so Chase returned the favor. They went about it differently but got the same result. people are too hung up on the process versus the result. They both got the same result.
If Denny doesn’t understand they’re even, then he’s picking a fight that should be over at this point. He’s had a track record of not letting these things go in the past too when they should be over.
You are absolutely correct. The difference is that it happened to Chase, the new golden boy who can do no wrong.
So basically, Chase was more skillful than Denny in getting past him. Too bad someone wasn’t telling Hamlin to let Chase go, that it wouldn’t keep him out of the final.
Jeff, you have an odd way of thinking about this. Honestly, if anything this just reinforces the point that having a “win at all costs” mentality still won’t get you very far in this format. Let’s rewind for a second…
If Hamlin doesn’t wreck Elliot at Martinsville, and Elliot goes on to win the race, then the situation is that Hamlin is looking good on points, Keselowski has a far worse finish (he got 4th after the caution and some luck) and Busch isn’t locked in because he doesn’t win.
Make no mistake, for the most part there wasn’t a single driver who HAD to win Martinsville to make it to Homestead. Yeah, it sure made their lives easier if they did, but it wasn’t a requirement.
So, Hamlin has now wrecked Elliot and made an enemy. He salvages a good finish, but now we need only to take a look at Matt Kenseth. Kenseth made an enemy of Brian Vickers in 2011, and although he was starting to have problems in his title run anyway, Brian Vickers finished him off at Phoenix for good.
Then, Joey Logano and Kenseth tangle in 2015, and Kenseth ends Logano’s run in dramatic fashion.
History repeats, Hamlin makes an enemy of Chase Elliot, and his title run is ended.
If anything, what these guys should be learning is that making enemies is the last thing you want to do. Yes, go for the victory, yes there may be some leeway given for the desperate (Newman/Larson in 2014) but at the end of the day, you will see that person again, and they will make sure to repay you in the same way.
Last thing after this wall of text… NO WAY Chase Elliot races another driver the same way as he raced Hamlin. Race him hard? Yes. Do everything he can to pass? Yes. Put him in the wall? No, because he doesn’t need to make another enemy for third place. Going for the lead in the closing laps is different, and his situation (unlike Hamlin’s at Martinsville) was must win at Phoenix, so the risk is worth the reward.
Here’s the difference: Denny is a veteran driver and a bully. Chase is a kid fighting for respect in his career. “What did you expect, Denny? What did you REASONABLY expect?” Hamlin tried to bully Chase at Martinsville, hoping Chase would roll over for him. Now he is PO’ed that Chase raced him hard enough to mess him up, but not so hard that he would be penalized himself. Chase is the big winner in this as the kid who stood up to the bully. THAT’s what Jeff Gluck fails to understand.
Perfectly stated. The bully got his comeuppance.
???????? KnowsNASCAR!
First, I am not a fan of Chase Elliott; my reasons have nothing to do with this issue. Second, I am definitely not a fan of Denny Hamlin. I am proud to say he blocked me on twitter after a similar situation years ago when he ran out of talent.
The wreck at Martinsville was caused because Hamlin ran out of talent while attempting an actual “bump and run,” lifted Chase’s rear tires, and turned him into the wall. I would not be surprised if we found he did it on purpose, but I can’t read his thoughts.
At Phoenix, Chase bumped Denny a couple of times letting him know he was there. No one crashed. Talent shown. When Chase got up next to Denny, their doors bumped and Denny hit the wall. So sad, too bad. Chase raced Matt the way Matt races him. Clean. Denny has always struck me as a dirty driver in every situation, not just win and you’re in.
I’m sure that Joey Logano doesn’t think Matt raced him clean. Honestly, I’ve watched NASCAR since 1968 and it’s always been this way. It’s what made NASCAR a fan favorite. If Denny would have crashed Kyle,no one would be mad. But he crashed the new “Golden boy” from Hendrick Racing. Next year, there will be a new one, William Byron. Chase will have to compete with him for Rick Hendricks attention.
Even though Chase didn’t put Denny into the wall, it did end his chance at the championship. It was just delayed a little. Chase wrecked because of lack of experience in a cup car, with cup drivers who are also trying to win the race. It’s always happened, and it will happen again. In case you’ve forgotten, there was a driver who became famous for wrecking people, that everyone loved. Remember Dale Earnhardt? He would rather wreck you than pass you!
I am not a fan of Chase’s necessarily, and I most definitely am not a fan of Hamlin. I used to think he was an okay driver until over the last several years it seemed his ego, lack of humility, and smug comments started to overshadow his talent. Regardless, I do view the two situations differently. Denny had the talent, car, and experience to pass Chase clean at Martinsville. Instead, he elected to bump a guy in the corner – something we all know as taboo in racing. What I saw from Chase is what the greats of our time called hard racing. He gave him the two courtesy bumps because he was clearly faster, and when Hamlin would not budge, he raced him hard. We all have our own opinions whether or not the two wrecks were comparing apples to apples or apples to oranges (I fall in this camp). But, that point aside, the bottom line is if Martinsville had never happened, DH would likely be sitting there in the final four as we speak. Most all of Hamlin’s contemporaries have won a championship, and you have to wonder why Hamlin, with some of the best cars and a lightening fast crew has not. I believe it is in part due to the decisions we have repeatedly seen him make. You wreck a guy in the corner, you are going to expect payback. There is no way DH could have been oblivious to the fact that there was a good chance that payback was about to ensue. I know it is not in a racer’s blood to simply move over, but Chase clearly had the faster car. Rather than press the issue, why not just let the faster car go by, worry about staying in front of the 2 (which at that time, he had well in hand), and drive your way right into the Final Four most likely. Like most sports, there is the physical side and the intellectual side, and this is where I think DH needs to learn to think about the big picture rather than react if he is ever going to end his career with a title.
Chase should be parked for two races, just like Matt was.
He wreck another driver ON PURPOSE. It affected the out come
of the Championship. Denny was trying to win at Martinsville. that is racing
Chase had two more races he could of won to move ahead,
NASCAR will not do anything to Chase because of his last name.
TWO Years ZERO WINS????? Kane has at least one
If he was anyone else he would not even be racing in the cup series or Nascar. Definitely another Daddy’s boy, just like JR
If you park Chase, you would also have to park Denny for his part in starting this fiasco at Martinsville in the first place. And two years and zero wins. I’m not a Chase fan, but honestly, he outdoes many of the premier drivers. He may not have a win, but he has a ton of second place finishes and his year has been pretty stellar. Look how many top drivers often go a season or more without a win. I’m not a fan necessarily, but I can’t take away from the fact that he has had as much or more success this year than many of the drivers out there.
Say what? It didnt matter if Chase had Texas and Phoniex to win a race, Denny also affected the outcome of the championship when he wrecked Chase. Chase did (as you state in your comment) what Denny tried to do in Martinsville, he tried to win the race, I mean after all its racing.
Hamlin certainly gave Chase some shots to the bumper earlier in the race and while not out of the ordinary was, in this situation, poking the bear.
One thing for sure is Chase has put the field on notice- I ain’t no rookie anymore.
As a background, I come from SCCA sports car and open wheel racing where this kind of bumping doesn’t happen (I’ll ignore F1 lately 🙂 ). Given that, to me it is clear that this is all a result of the NASCAR view, i.e., rubbin’ is racin’, win and you’re in. We are going to see more and more of this down the line.
As to this particular case, I view Denny’s as a little worse but both are within the environment NASCAR has set up. So rather than blame Denny or Chase, the blame for this lies with NASCAR.
Whether this is ultimately good or bad for NASCAR remains to be seen and can be debated ad infinitum. Short term it has generated excitement and discussion. Long term, only time will tell.
I agree. NASCAR has created this circus with “win & you’re in”, and it won’t be the last time it happens.
Sadly, I agree with you. I’m NOT a Denny fan, and I am a Chase fan. What Denny did was uncalled for, but Chase’s action wasn’t much better, but I loved it
lot of anger and hate everywhere
Denny was holding Chase up, Chase was the faster car by far….and most drivers will move because sometimes it causes both cars to wreck. Also Denny’s team chose not to pit, and stay on track…. The fans spoke at Martinsville and Phoenix, and that says it all.
One more race and I’m done with Nascar. I like Denny because he came from nowhere on talent and family. I have little love for the lucky sperm in the 24. Thanks to NASCAR for kissing Danica’s pampered little ass it’s been a pleasure watching her fail each and every week. But I’ve had enough. Every week the motormouth s endlessly talk about points points points. It’s sickening. I had hoped that NBC could perform better than boogety boogety but that hasn’t happened.
Umm. Gluck has lost some cred with me. Hamlin blatantly wrecked/ blind sided Elliot at Martinsville. Elliot INSTANTLY lost ton of points from the damage aside from just losing the race. Elliot didn’t start the “fight”.
If watch replays of the Phoenix race you will note that Hamlin raced Elliot tight early on, showing a lack of respect and humility IMO. Regardless, Elliot did not “wreck” Hamlin. and they contact was minimal compared to Martinsville. Hamlins team had opportunity to check for damage before any tire blew, they gambled. They started the fight, Elliot, indirectly, finished it.
I say all is even. Kudos to Elliot for standing up for himself and his team and showing Hamlin that he wasn’t going to put up with it. Nascar will likely have a talk with them both to cool things now.
Well said, it takes the popularity contest out of it too.
I agree, but Denny did not end Chase”s shot at Miami he still had Texas and phoenix to win and in and almost did! So that whole Denny ended it for him is complete BS!
If Denny was half as talented as he thinks he is, he would have just moved Chase up the track at Martinsville like Gordon did so many times to Rusty. Denny would have won the race, Chase would have finished second or third, and they BOTH would likely be in the final, Denny by winning and Chase on points. When Denny ran out of talent and jacked up Chase, he made his own bed and he got what was coming to him. Now , if both drivers are smart, they will let it go and move on.
Chase can’t win races ,HAMLIN can’t win championships ,there pretty much two birds of a feather ,now I will say HAMLIN is problee the better driver out of the two as of now but CHOKE Elliott is also pretty new and has a long time to prove himself only time will tell
Reading all these comments was entertaining and reminded me of the old saying…. “opinions are like a-holes, everybody has one”. I have my opinion as well, but after reading these comments I can tell that without everyone being able to watch videos of each encounter and being able to debate/breakdown exactly what contact resulted in what damage, it’s a waste of time. Actually even the videos wouldn’t help. It’s always amazed me that people can watch the same footage and come away with completely different interpretations.
Nascar should set definitive rules. It allows certain driving behaviours that don’t expose what can and what can not be done. It’s clear for me! The question is simple: Did Hamlin and Elliott do correctly or not under the tule? Nascar ought explain this definitely and turn it really clear to all of us.