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Alex Bowman and Denny Hamlin are not happy with each other. Hamlin, making a pass on Bowman during Stage 2 of Sunday’s AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway, waved out his window as he drove by.
Bowman responded over his radio: “Tell him to put his hand back in the window and don’t drive me in the fu*king fence next time,” via Jeff Gluck of The Athletic.
Karma did bite Hamlin in the butt soon after. Hamlin’s team made a mistake on the ensuing green flag pit stop, causing him to lose seven spots.
A slow stop for the No. 11 causes @dennyhamlin to lose seven spots on pit road. pic.twitter.com/iDOwrPMM34
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 11, 2025
Make that two weeks in a row where Hamlin has paid the price for a previous action. Showered with boos during driver introductions ahead of last Sunday’s race at Texas Motor Speedway, Hamlin threw the Horns Down gesture at the crowd in attendance. That gesture proved to be costly, if you believe in karma. Hamlin’s engine blew up on Lap 75, prematurely ending his race.
“That didn’t last long for me. Eventually, the karma caught up pretty quickly,” Hamlin said on Monday’s Actions Detrimental podcast. “Their fans were the nicest fans in defeat that we have ever come across. They’re nice people.”
Alex Bowman, Denny Hamlin running well at Kansas
Still, it’s been a quality day of racing for Hamlin. He’s currently running eighth, two spots behind Bowman. The Hendrick Motorsports driver has finished 27th or worse in three of his last four starts and desperately needs a good performance.
So far, so good for Bowman, who has led two laps at Kansas. But he and the rest of the field are chasing Kyle Larson, who started on the pole. Larson has led all but 15 laps and looks to be closing in on his third victory of the season.
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Dale Earnhardt Jr. Thinks Chase Elliott Can Outshine Kyle Larson to Become Hendrick’s Main Man Again
There used to be a time when Chase Elliott was considered the top gun in Rick Hendrick’s Cup Series stable. That situation has largely changed over the past three seasons, and that stature is now held by the 2025 champion, Kyle Larson. As Elliott continues his attempts to regain his throne, popular NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Jr. has expressed his relentless confidence in the No. 9 driver. He said in a recent episode of his podcast, “Chase Elliott is a champion, and before Larson, he was the guy at Hendrick. I’m still holding out. You know, I hope that he gets himself back to the top. They got some work done in that regard this year. I saw some consistency and performance in that team that I think they’ve been looking for.” With two wins, 11 top-5s, and 19 top-10s this year, Elliott had a consistent season in 2025. His stability throughout the year is what has impressed Junior the most and led him to believe that the driver would greatly benefit from the potential playoff format change that is coming up. He continued, “I think that the format change could really help that team. No matter whether it’s 3-3-4 or just straight 10, it’s all the same to me.” “I think that, you know, Chase is definitely a guy that you could look at as somebody who could put together the 10 races needed to be right in the mix going into Homestead,” added Junior. For the 2026 season, NASCAR is moving away from Phoenix Raceway as its title decider and is heading to Homestead-Miami, which will host the final race. Could Elliott race for the title at the 1.5-mile South Florida track? It remains to be seen. Elliott doesn’t think he had a great season in 2025 The Dawsonville, Georgia, native finished eighth in the points standings at the end of the year. But the fact that he scored the fourth-most points from Daytona to Phoenix shows the kind of consistent season he had. The only point of concern is that Elliott hasn’t brought home enough wins to justify the high standard that he has set for himself. He said during a press conference for his most popular driver award, “I think for us, it was okay at times, and really solid at times, but it just wasn’t great. We’ve had some high spots here or there, but certainly not as consistently doing that as what we would like.” Regardless of anything else, it cannot be denied that the No. 9 crew at HMS has been improving year-on-year, despite their driver’s vocal struggles in adapting to the Next Gen car. Should his upward trend continue, Elliott would be a serious contender for the championship in 2026.
Chiefs React to Travis Kelce's Decision on Sunday
Kansas City Chiefs star Travis Kelce continues to make headlines on and off the field. Entering Sunday's Week 11 game against the Denver Broncos, Kelce has been one of the most reliable players on the Chiefs. In nine games this 2025, he has recorded 41 receptions for 540 yards and three touchdowns. He actually leads in the team in receptions and receiving yards and is second in receiving touchdowns. Off the field, the Chiefs tight end has been the subject of plenty of interest due to his relationship with pop star Taylor Swift. Not to mention, he has been growing his personal brand by diversifying his ventures — from going into acting to opening up his own restaurant with teammate Patrick Mahomes. Now, prior to their showdown with the Broncos, Kelce drew plenty of attention again with his off-field decision. The 36-year-old star arrived at Empower Field at Mile High wearing a black blazer with a subtle striped pattern, which he paired with matching pants. What stood out from his outfit were his bags, as he brought a Louis Vuitton Keepall Bandouliere and Horizon 55 that cost over $9,000 combined, per Style By Kelce. Even the Chiefs couldn't help but react to Kelce's outfit, as they shared photos of him on social media. "Find you someone who cleans up like @TKelce," the Chiefs wrote. For what it's worth, fans agreed with the Chiefs' post, taking to the comment section to share their reactions. "He cleans up Nicely," a commenter wrote. Another one said, "He Polishs up real nice!" A fan added, "There’s only one Travis Kelce." "Looking good as usual Travis! Let's go Chiefs! Let's get those Broncos," a supporter remarked. A fifth follower shared, "He always keeps it tidy." Kelce's popularity remains sky-high. That being said, it shouldn't be a surprise that anything he does is talked about.
Steve Spurrier has two endorsements for next Florida HC
Steve Spurrier is a legend for the Florida Gators. Known as "the head ball coach" down in SEC-land, Spurrier was a star both as a player and as a coach for Florida. Heck, the dang field in Gainesville is named after him. That means what he says about the Florida program carries a lot of weight, and he recently revealed that he believes there are only two people who would live up to the expectations and be a great fit for the Gators as they look to replace fired head coach Billy Napier sooner rather than later. “I know Lane Kiffin and I know Eli Drinkwitz,” Spurrier recently said, according to Daniel Hager of On3. “Obviously, either one of those guys would be super if it works out. But, it’s a long way from whoever we’re going to get as our coach right now.” The Gators are currently making a full-court press for Lane Kiffin, but they're not alone in their pursuit in the Ole Miss head coach. While the Gators reportedly flew members of Kiffin's family down to Gainesville to check things out recently, the LSU Tigers also pulled the same trick — hoping to get Kiffin to ultimatly come down to Baton Rouge. LSU is probably Florida's biggest competitor for Kiffin right now, but there's also Ole Miss to consider. It's not like the Rebels are going to let a coach who has led them to a 54-19 record over the past six seasons go without a fight. Kiffin would absolutely be a home-run hire for the Gators, though. He's a high-level recruiter and a high-level offensive mind in the SEC. Those are two things that the Gators desperately need in the wake of the middling Napier era. Not only that, but Kiffin has ties to the state. He was the head coach at Florida Atlantic from 2017-19. Eli Drinkwitz an interesting option for Florida if it can't land Lane Kiffin Drinkwitz is another interesting option, though. You'll also notice that there's a trend here for Florida, and that's going after established SEC head coaches. Napier had come from the Sun Belt conference. Drinkwitz has made Missouri a tough out in the SEC and he's won a ton of football games. His overall record at Mizzou is 45-27, though his record in big games does leave a little to be desired. He's 7-14 against ranked opponents and 0-7 against top-10 teams. Still, Drinkwitz is a young coach at just 42, so the upside is there. He's a big personality who does well on the recruiting trail, and he could do a lot of good things with the firepower of the Florida Gators behind him. There are other options out there for Florida. Washington head coach Jedd Fisch is a Florida alumnus, for instance. If Spurrier has narrowed it down to Kiffin and Drinkwitz in his mind, though, you can bet those in power at Florida are likely thinking the same thing.
LeBron James' admission about his role with the Lakers shows it's the beginning of the end
LeBron James has yet to play a single minute this season, and the Los Angeles Lakers are 10-4 and in fourth place in the stacked Western Conference. Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic are combining to average roughly 62 points and 17 assists per game, and the offense is finding its groove. That's why there are some legitimate concerns about how James' return might affect this team's chemistry. When asked about that, James claimed that he would adapt to anything the team needs from him. LeBron James just wants to hoop “Don’t matter. I’ve never had a position. There’s not one team, one club, in the world that I can’t fit in and play for. I can do everything on the floor,” James told the media, per Jovan Buha. This might sound like something positive, but it's also an indication of what's to come. James knows he's no longer the alpha dog on the roster, and he will have to adapt and adjust to the younger players to contribute to their championship aspirations. He's entering his 23rd season and has already missed time due to an injury that's rare among professional athletes, as sciatica injuries are relatively uncommon among young people. The writing is already on the wall, and all signs point to this being the end of the road for the four-time NBA champion. He's not likely to play back-to-backs, and he might have to settle for an off-the-ball role for the first time in his career. It was an incredible ride, and he's certainly earned the right to walk into the sunset on his own terms. At least his team seems to be in good hands.
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