The 2025 Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway was a fierce contest, with Denny Hamlin and William Byron running up front for most of the race. Both drivers fought hard for the lead, taking advantage of every opportunity and making bold moves. Hamlin, representing Joe Gibbs Racing, led 53 laps—second only to his Hendrick Motorsports rival, Byron. However, when the checkered flag fell, Hamlin finished a disappointing 16th, the last car on the lead lap.

Byron, meanwhile, was leading late in the race but was overtaken by Ross Chastain with just six laps to go, narrowly missing out on victory. Oddly, some Hendrick Motorsports fans blamed Hamlin for Byron’s loss, even though Hamlin was being lapped when Chastain made his move. Hamlin was quick to respond to these accusations.

In the closing stages of the race, Hamlin was racing only for pride. After running second during the final green-flag pit stop cycle, he realized he didn’t have enough fuel to finish. He was forced to pit again with 12 laps remaining, which put him a lap down.

With six laps to go, Hamlin was running low on the track in Turn 1, already a lap down. Byron, who was leading, hesitated, allowing Chastain to squeeze through a tight gap and take the lead. Some fans bizarrely blamed Hamlin for interfering with Byron’s race, but Hamlin addressed the situation on his Actions Detrimental podcast.

Hamlin said:

“Speaking of HMS fanboys. I’m getting some mentions that I’m responsible for Byron losing? What the f— are people watching? I was behind him when he stepped on his d—. How can people be that dumb? If you said that you’re an idiot. That is just asinine. You think I give a f— at that point?”

He went on to clarify what actually happened:

“I was behind him. He got stuck behind the #22 [Joey Logano], got loose in three and four. The #1 [Ross Chastain] came in with a massive run because he got loose behind the #22, and I went by both of them. And by the way, I lifted into Turn 1 to let them race. If you look, I got beside the #24 [Byron] and here comes the #1… I lifted into [Turn] one because I’m like, ‘I ain’t getting in the middle of this. I’ll pass him off of Turn 2. What are these people watching?”’

Hamlin emphasized that he simply held his line, stayed low, and did not interfere, stating:

“I held my line really, really low, I didn’t side draft anyone, nothing.”

Hamlin speculated that the blame might stem from the ongoing rivalry between Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing, but he was clearly frustrated by the accusations.

Hamlin pointed out that after his pit stop, he had no chance to win and no reason to get involved with the leaders:

“I just pitted with 10 laps to go, trying to get to the lead lap in case a caution comes. Then, maybe I stay out cause I got right side tires and I squeeze some sort of finish out of this freaking day… I was not a factor. I was the least person in the way!”

Ultimately, the race did not go Hamlin’s way, largely due to a rare pit crew error.

Hamlin entered the race hoping to rebound from a poor finish in Texas. He started 20th but steadily worked his way forward, finishing 7th in Stage 1 and 2nd in both Stages 2 and 3, just behind Byron. Unfortunately, during the final green-flag pit stops, a fueling error occurred: the second fuel can didn’t connect properly, spilling fuel and leaving Hamlin short on gas. Without a late caution, he had to pit again and lost track position.

Asked about the pit crew mishap, Hamlin commented:

“I mean, they’re the pros. I’m not a pit guy, but I tried to do everything I could for the National Debt Toyota Team. Fun battling up front. It was a heck of a battle there and would have liked to see it through, but unfortunately just didn’t get enough gas in it and had to come back in.”

This wasn’t the first pit crew issue Hamlin has faced—he previously described his team as “in a slump” during the 2024 playoffs. With no top-five finishes in his last four races, Hamlin is looking to bounce back at the upcoming Cracker Barrel 400 in Nashville.

Denny Hamlin made it clear he had no role in William Byron’s defeat at the Coca-Cola 600. He was not in contention for the win, did not interfere with the leaders, and was simply trying to salvage a decent finish after a pit stop blunder. The blame from some fans, Hamlin insists, is completely unfounded.