Bubba Wallace spotter Freddie Kraft sends warning to Denny Hamlin after Kansas battle

Denny Hamlin didn’t cut Bubba Wallace a break during Sunday’s Round of 12 race at Kansas Speedway. Hamlin shouldn’t expect one from Wallace throughout the remainder of the playoffs, No. 23 team spotter Freddie Kraft said.

“The thing is moving forward, I think the two biggest takeaways are for a guy that was upset last week that the 54 [Ty Gibbs] didn’t let him go, I know my driver and I know my driver… in the next few weeks, my guy can be one of the most aggravating guys on the racetrack to pass when he wants to be,” Kraft said on Tuesday’s Door Bumper Clear podcast.

“For a guy that was just complaining about somebody not letting him go last week, he might be upset with us in the near future if that plays out.”

Racing Wallace for the win on the final lap of overtime, Hamlin washed up the track in Turn 3, making contact with Wallace who brushed the wall. It lost the race for both of them as Chase Elliott drove by on the bottom to take the checkered flag.

Wallace was frustrated with Hamlin after the race, flipping him the middle finger and later calling him out. Wallace badly needed a win at Kansas after a disappointing performance the week prior at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He came into the race minus-27 below the playoff cutline and even after finishing fifth at Kansas, he only made up a single point.

Bubba Wallace needs to win at the Charlotte ROVAL

Wallace now faces a near must-win situation this Sunday at the Charlotte ROVAL. Wallace has never won on a road course, though his performances have been on an upward trend of late.

Perhaps the biggest competition to the playoff field is reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Joey Logano. If Logano gets to the Championship 4 at Phoenix Raceway, he will be the favorite. Had Wallace won, Logano would be sitting below the playoff cutline. Kraft said Hamlin’s decision making at Kansas “could come back to bite him” at some point.

“The biggest thing for me is you talk about watching the cutline move, a week after [Chris] Gabehart says the Penske cars are unbeatable at Phoenix, if we win the race, the 22 is out of the playoffs right now. Obviously, Denny doesn’t know that, but that could come back to bite him,” Kraft said. “If the 22 advances through this round and finds his way to Phoenix, he’s gonna be really f*cking hard to beat there.

“It’s racing, it’s what I’ve done my whole life. I know everybody’s expecting me to come on here and say Denny is an [expletive], but it is what it is.”