Denny Hamlin Finds Rare Ally in NASCAR Broadcaster Amid Mounting Criticism

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at Kansas Speedway was a spectacle of high-speed drama, with Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace at the center of the action. Starting from pole position, Hamlin dominated the race, leading 159 laps and securing stage points, and having the Xfinity fastest lap of the race. After his 59th win at the Gateway in the Round of 16, Hamlin was aiming for a 60th career victory. However, the race took a dramatic turn in the final laps.

On a two-lap overtime restart, Hamlin, charging from 6th place, made a bold move on Bubba Wallace, who was leading. Entering Turn 3, Hamlin dove low, causing Wallace to make contact with the wall. The incident disrupted both Toyotas’ momentum, allowing Chase Elliott to capitalize and claim the victory. But Wallace didn’t mince words in the post-race interview, “He’s a dumb–s for that move. I don’t care if he’s my boss or not,” referring to Hamlin’s aggressive maneuver. But in the midst of all the criticism Hamlin has been facing, NASCAR broadcaster Steve Letarte offered a perspective that might surprise many.

Steve Letarte’s take on Denny Hamlin’s last lap gamble

Steve Letarte’s comments underscored the duality at play: “You’re on board with driver Denny Hamlin. You’re not on board with team owner Denny Hamlin right here. When he puts his fire suit on, he’s a race car driver.” In the high-stakes atmosphere of Kansas, Hamlin’s roles collided. As the No. 11 car dominated, earning the “Most Laps Led” designation in the Hollywood Casino 400, his instincts as a race driver kicked in. But subtle miscalculations, such as a pit stop that cost track position and shifted momentum.

Letarte acknowledged this, saying, “He drove down in there and he ran the 23 up, and they got tight, and the 9 gets by…Look, I’m okay with it. It was a pit stop that took him out of the lead. It happens. It’s human error. Issue on the pit stop of the draft.” As a driver, Hamlin is expected to be ruthless, but as a co-owner of 23XI Racing, his actions ripple wider. The tension isn’t theoretical this season as 23XI’s off-track legal drama and charter questions have put extra pressure on the team, meaning any on-track incident now carries business as well as sporting consequences.

Kansas’s fall playoff race already produced penalties and post-race technical headaches this year, which makes in-race gambles even more consequential for teams fighting to advance. Letarte continued, “Bubba Wallace is frustrated, as he should… It’s okay that everybody hates one another. Bubba Wallace, he came over… The day that an owner drives a car as an owner, and that’s not good. That’s not what people buy tickets for. That’s not what people watch for.” That friction is amplified by the unusual ownership structure as 23XI Racing is publicly co-owned by Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin, which turns ordinary on-track contact into a headline about governance, loyalty, and optics as much as it is about racing etiquette.