Denny Hamlin Curses Kyle Larson for Bristol Comments, Thanks Former JGR Star for Shutting His Dreams in Hilarious Bid

“You’ve got to give that team and Kyle his due for just a dominant performance. Pretty flawless day for him.” These were Denny Hamlin’s post-race comments after a bitter defeat against Kyle Larson. The two star drivers have finished 1-2 in a total of seven Cup Series races, but this was Larson’s first win against his frenemy. Leading 411 of 500 laps is no joke. If anything, he schooled the rest of the competition on how to get things done at the Thunder Valley. But, apart from chasing the checkered flag at Bristol, both Hamlin and Larson were eyeing the three-peat.

Having won two straight races at Martinsville and Darlington, Hamlin could’ve joined Christopher Bell in registering three back-to-back wins in the Next Gen era. Meanwhile, Larson was trying to bounce back from his Homestead disappointment by having another go and sweeping the Bristol weekend. Unfortunately, both drivers failed to reach these ambitious milestones. Surprisingly, the veteran JGR driver was rooting for Larson to tie Kyle Busch’s record at the half-mile oval, but he made a U-turn. Why? Because the driver of the No. 5 Chevy mocked Hamlin’s challenge for the three-peat in the victory lane.

“You know, if Denny’s in front of me, it could be a totally different story and be really hard to pass him. But, glad to stop his three-peat. We hate to see him win as I’m sure you guys do too.” Kyle Larson said this to the cheers of the fans in the grandstands. And that was enough for Denny Hamlin to turn against his foe while speaking on the Actions Detrimental Podcast.

Chandler Smith was the one who played spoiler to Larson’s attempt to win all three races on the weekend. Taking charge of the late race restart, the No. 38 truck took the charge on the final seven laps and fended off the charge by the No. 7 Spire truck. Larson had 27-lap fresher tires, but he was 0.934 seconds shy of the race winner when crossing the start-finish line. Although Smith was a happy man to register his first win of 2025, Denny Hamlin was overjoyed, especially after Larson’s post-race comments on Sunday.

“His post-race comments about keeping from three-in-a-row, and we don’t like to see that, and you fans don’t. Now, I’m like, pi– on your triple, your sweep. Like, I’m glad Chandler Smith beat you in the truck race.” Hamlin said on his podcast. Well, it wasn’t anything serious, just good banter. “No, it’s all good.” But given the heated moments the two drivers have shared in the past, this back-and-forth between the two drivers is indeed welcoming for the fans.

Speaking of Chandler Smith, Hamlin also spoke highly about his talents and his good run of form. It is worth noting that Smith took a step down from Xfinity to the Truck Series. But if he continues to churn out wins and strong performances, Hamlin believes he has a shot to reclaim his spot among the best racers in NASCAR’s feeder series.

Denny Hamlin endorses Chandler Smith’s return to the Xfinity Series

Chandler Smith has a terrific 2024 campaign, driving the No. 81 JGR Toyota. With two wins and fifteen top 5 finishes, he finished 5th in the championship standings. But despite the consistent run, JGR opted not to renew his contract and the driver was left searching for a new ride just a year after landing at the team. Talent alone isn’t enough to survive in the competitive series, and Hamlin, out of all the drivers, understands that really well.

“The problem with Xfinity is that it’s just 90 percent pay drivers. So it’s going to be really really tough to break through in the top notch ride. It’s really hard with the model of the Xfinity Series.” But, there’s a glimmer of hope for Smith, which Hamlin explained touched up further. And that again comes through only if the Front Row Motorsports driver continues on his winning run in the Truck Series.

“I think Chandler’s a very good driver. And arguably the best Xfinity driver that they had last year for probably most of the season. So it’s good that he kind of landed on his feet there, got something in the Truck Series. And he’s now able to pay that off. He can have fun, build up his resume and hopefully get that call in Xfinity one day.” The veteran JGR driver added.

Keep an eye out for Chandler Smith along with Daniel Hemric as both these drivers are looking to redeem themselves and get their place in the top NASCAR series.