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Denny Hamlin calls for NASCAR enforcement after Ross Chastain block at Talladega

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones05/01/25brianjones_93
Denny Hamlin (40)
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Denny Hamlin wants NASCAR to step in after Ross Chastain made a controversial block during the NASCAR Cup Series Talladega race this past weekend. On the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin called for NASCAR enforcement after Chastain’s block.

“I’m a little frustrated by it because I’ve seen it getting a little bit out of control and I would like to see something said about the unsafe merging that the drivers are doing intentionally to block oncoming cars that are approaching him,” Hamlin said. “They’re not up to speed yet. We got this line of cars going, and so they just said ‘Okay, I’m just going to swerve back and forth until somebody checks up or gets crashed.'”

Denny Hamlin did not have the best day at Talladega

Denny Hamlin also suggested that a black flag should have come out after the Chastain block. “I don’t know why in NASCAR if you can have someone black flagged for forcing you below the yellow line to stop them from passing you, why can’t we stop the guy that is swerving at 150 miles per hour when the pack is coming at 190, who’s trying to cause a wreck?” Denny Hamlin asked. “He’s trying to get you to check up and then cause chaos, get you tagged from behind, just cause chaos.”

Hamlin and the Toyota cars were planning to make a run around the rest of the field before Chastain made his block. It turned out to be a good move as the end of the race set up a Ford vs. Chevrolet finish.

“I didn’t know how far up we were actually going to be able to get, but certainly the 1 [Ross Chastain], you know, making a move there to kinda wreck us is not ideal, but I mean, he’s trying to do everything he can to stop the run,” Hamlin told Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports after the race. “The variance of speed there was crazy.”

Hamlin did not have a great performance at Talladega as he earned a P21 finish. It comes after Hamlin finished in the top five in the last four races. Ross Chastain notched a P20 finish at Talladega. He earned top-10 finishes in the previous three races.