In a startling turn during the tense aftermath of the Daytona finale, NASCAR veteran and co-owner of 23XI Racing, Denny Hamlin, didn’t hold back as he placed full blame on his own driver, Bubba Wallace, for igniting the massive pileup that reshaped the race. Speaking candidly on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast, Hamlin dissected the early wreck, which occurred just 27 laps into the final stage, involving nearly a dozen cars and ending the night prematurely for Wallace and others motorsport.comOn3.
“It looked like to me that Bubba just squeezed those two guys below him down,” Hamlin said. He described how Wallace darted down into a tightening gap, seemingly unaware or unconcerned about the lack of room. “I don’t know what Freddie [Kraft] was calling. Maybe he was saying three wide top or not—I’m not sure, but he [Wallace] just squeezed on down there, and there was no room. So he ended up wrecking himself, and obviously a few others” motorsport.comPFSN. When asked if Kyle Larson’s push had influenced Wallace’s trajectory, Hamlin was firm: “I don’t think so… That’s just the #23 not clear. It’s just one of those not-clear moments” On3PFSN.
Hamlin’s sharp critique resonated across the motorsports world, especially given Wallace operates under the same 23XI Racing banner. The comments underline underlying tensions between ownership and driver during critical moments. NASCAR insiders suggest that such pointed public criticisms could strain team dynamics and impact future collaboration.
Meanwhile, Wallace has already voiced regret and accepted responsibility for the incident. In post-race remarks, he said, “I hate that. I’ll take the blame for it, unfortunately. Just a crap deal. Everything was going too good, too early to be all true. So something was bound to happen. I hate that we were involved in it, but hopefully, we can get the 45 in still. So, all in all, we’re locked in. Let’s get focused for Darlington, and I’m okay” yardbarker.com. His spotter, Freddie Kraft, however, offered a different perspective, pointing a finger at Larson and suggesting it was Larson’s aggressive move into the middle that left Wallace squeezed and with nowhere to go yardbarker.com.
The wreck itself unfolded swiftly on Lap 27 at Daytona International Speedway, triggering a cascade of collisions involving Wallace, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Riley Herbst, Hamlin, and others motorsport.comOn3. The incident not only ended Wallace’s night but also dealt a blow to his playoff momentum. Hamlin continued on to a 25th-place finish, continuing a troubling streak at Daytona in the Next Gen car era—marked by consistently poor results despite his previous Daytona 500 success in earlier vehicle generations motorsport.comPFSN.
With both Hamlin and Wallace already locked into the NASCAR playoffs, all eyes now shift to the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on August 31, where reputations, strategies, and team unity will be tested under pressure.
Hamlin’s bombshell comments have ignited a profound debate about accountability, team dynamics, and the ruthless reality of high-stakes racing. As the playoffs approach, the fallout from Daytona promises to reshape conversations both in the garage and the broadcast booth.
