Denny Hamlin gives insight into the Austin Dillon-Kyle Larson drama at Watkins Glen, says ‘it looked intentional’ 

Following their collision at Watkins Glen, Austin Dillon, and Kyle Larson finished P31 and P26, respectively.

Denny Hamlin gives insight into the Austin Dillon-Kyle Larson drama at Watkins Glen, says ‘it looked intentional’ 

Kyle Larson (Credits: Sportskeeda) Denny Hamlin ( Credits: NBC Sports) Austin Dillon ( Credits: Whiskey Riff)

Joe Gibbs Racing driver and 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin opened up about the confrontation between Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson at Watkins Glen International. Dillon and Larson spun after contact on the final lap of the race. The former tried to make a pass and got into Larson, who didn’t hold back on the next turn. This caused both drivers to spin out. 

After the race, Austin Dillon and Kyle Larson had a heated exchange. The NASCAR world was surprised by what they witnessed, and Denny Hamlin was no exception. The 42-year-old spoke about this drama between the duo on the latest episode of his podcast, Actions Detrimental. Hamlin, known for his candid feedback, made a bold claim and stated that Austin Dillon’s move on Larson looked intentional. 

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Denny Hamlin said, “So I saw the contact first from Austin Dillon, and I look at it and I’m like, ‘Damn AD, you missed the corner by a mile.’ Like, but it looked intentional. If you see you’re going to miss the corner, you would just go to the left, that way you wouldn’t just run directly into the back of them. So I’m like, ‘Well, it’s intentional,’ and he came from a long way back. He was pretty pissed about something.”

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Denny Hamlin spoke to Austin Dillon about the incident with Kyle Larson

Denny Hamlin(Credits: NKP)
Denny Hamlin(Credits: NKP)

However, Denny Hamlin wanted to clarify things by getting to know Austin Dillon’s side of the story before providing information on what might have happened. The three-time Daytona winner revealed that he spoke to Dillon and asked what happened.

“He [Austin Dillon] said, ‘Well, when we were back there, Kyle was — nobody was passing anyone.’ He’s like, ‘Alright, I was running behind the same damn cars the whole race.’ You know I get it, everyone’s frustrated because you think you’re faster than the car in front of you. Can’t pass them. Everyone’s just frustrated. But at this point in the race, the race is over. You’re not winning,” said Hamlin. 

Denny Hamlin claimed that Dillon tries to get the best finish possible in every race because of the competitor he is. The 42-year-old stated that he understood the situation. Dillon told Hamlin he didn’t get out of the bus stop well, and Kyle Larson was right on him on the entry. He stated Dillon was angry with Larson for moving him up the race track to get around and pass him. In the end, Dillon finished 31st and Larson 26th. 

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