Hamlin on Wallace’s Middle Finger: 'It’s Just Racing'

You could feel the tension crackle in the air at Kansas Speedway. The final lap, the overtime restart, it was a pressure cooker, and something had to give. For Bubba Wallace, it was a shot at victory lane that slipped through his fingers. For Denny Hamlin, it was a move that sparked a firestorm. Wallace looked like he had the race in the bag. His No. 23 Toyota was a rocket, leading the pack and destined for the checkered flag.

But then, it happened. His boss and fellow competitor, Denny Hamlin, drove him high, pushing him up against the wall. The move cost both drivers. Hamlin lost his momentum, and Wallace lost the win. Chase Elliott, smelling blood in the water with his fresher tires, swooped in to steal the victory.

The frustration from Wallace was raw and immediate. You could hear it in the expletives he unleashed over the team radio. And you could certainly see it in the one-finger salute he aimed squarely at Hamlin’s No. 11 car during the cooldown lap. It was a moment of pure, unfiltered emotion, the kind that makes NASCAR what it is.

Hamlin’s Response to the Gesture

So, what did Denny Hamlin, the co-owner of 23XI Racing, have to say about his own driver flipping him the bird? On his podcast, Hamlin made it clear he wasn’t losing any sleep over it. He saw it for what it was: a “heated moment” between two fierce competitors.”If he were to flip me off at 23XI as the car owner, we would have an employer, employee problem,” Hamlin explained. “But as a competitor, he flipped off the driver of the 11. I don’t have an issue with that.

“It’s a fine line to walk, but one Hamlin navigates with a clear head. On Sundays, he isn’t just a car owner; he’s a driver, and he expects to be treated like one.”Anything directed to me as an owner, I would certainly take an exception to that because I know the resources Michael [Jordan] and I give Bubba every single week to go out there and compete,” he continued.

“I don’t take that personally because I’m assuming we got someone that is on the field in the game in a heated moment. I give him grace for that because we are competitors on Sunday.”That’s the heart of it, isn’t it? When the helmets are on and the green flag drops, friendships and business relationships take a backseat to the burning desire to win.

The High Stakes of Competition

For Hamlin, the race was another chance to climb the ladder of NASCAR legends. He was chasing his 60th career Cup Series win, a victory that would tie him with the great Kevin Harvick on the all-time wins list. That milestone will have to wait. For Bubba Wallace, the stakes were even higher.

The Kansas clash left him in a precarious position in the playoffs. Now sitting 26 points below the cutline, he’s facing a must-win scenario to advance to the Round of 8. The pressure is immense, not just for him but for his teammate, Tyler Reddick, who is right on his heels.

Hamlin Defines His Dual Role

The incident brought a long-simmering question to the forefront: how does Hamlin balance his role as a driver for Joe Gibbs Racing with his co-ownership of 23XI? He didn’t mince words.”I’m the driver of the 11 on Sunday,” Hamlin stated firmly. “Joe Gibbs pays me a lot of money to make sure that car wins a championship or has a shot to. And can you imagine the outrage if I just backed off and let [Wallace] have it?”

He’s right. His primary loyalty on the track is to the No. 11 team and Joe Gibbs, the man who signs his paychecks. Apologizing for racing hard, even against his own driver, is not in his playbook. He is paid to win, and he intends to do just that.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, this clash was more than just a dramatic finish. It was a raw display of the passion, ambition, and complicated relationships that define modern NASCAR. It was two drivers, connected by business but separated by the finish line, giving it their all. And a middle finger? Well, in the heat of battle, that’s just part of the language of the sport.