Bubba Wallace’s Immediate Reaction to Denny Hamlin’s Aggressive Last-Lap Move

Denny Hamlin tussled with yet another teammate at the Kansas Speedway after wrecking Ty Gibbs at New Hampshire. This time, it was 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace on the receiving end. Wallace was justifiably frustrated with Hamlin, his team co-owner, after he cost him a win in Sunday’s Round of 12 race.

Wallace had been in a great spot to win the Hollywood Casino 400 and record his second win of the season in the overtime lap. Unfortunately, Hamlin came to race beside him in the final moments and bumped him into the wall trying to take the lead for himself. The move ultimately proved to be a blessing for Chase Elliott.

The Hendrick Motorsports driver came around the inside and beat Hamlin by 0.069 seconds to the checkered flag. Wallace now sits below the cutoff line and faces a gargantuan task at the Charlotte Roval next weekend. He could be seen flipping off Hamlin during the cooldown lap, and he wasn’t any less angry afterward.

“Two years ago, I would say something dumb,” he seethed. “He’s a dumbass for that move for sure. I don’t care if he’s my boss or not. But we were going for the win. I hate that we gave it to the Chevrolet [Elliott] there.” The No. 23 driver has to at least gain 26 points at Charlotte to overcome this disappointment. 

The Reason for Hamlin’s Disappointment

As harsh as it is to view this story from Wallace’s angle, there is one to see from Hamlin’s as well. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran has been seeking a Cup Series championship for eons now. The possibility that it might never come has forced him to consider other options for heightening his legacy.

Reaching the “60 career wins” mark is one of them. He told the press, “Massive disappointment. I don’t even know what else… how else you say it… how else you do it. Just a massive disappointment. I am thinking all race that it’s just our race. I would love to get my 60th here. At the track where I got my very first start.”

Hamlin led a race-high 159 laps despite battling power steering issues in his Toyota Camry. At the end of the day, he has shown the world that not even his own cars are off-limits when a win is on the line.

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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Sep 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the Racing section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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