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Denny Hamlin reacts to being blamed by John Hunter Nemechek for Chase Elliott wreck at Bristol

JHby: Jonathan Howard09/14/25Jondean25
Denny Hamlin Bristol Night Race tires
Mandatory Credit: Randy Sartin-Imagn Images

During the Bristol Night Race, Denny Hamlin caught heat for supposedly causing the wreck that took Chase Elliott out for the night. Well, Hamlin is confused as he looks back on those accusations the day after. Did the NASCAR veteran do anything wrong last night?

Of course, Denny Hamlin ultimately found himself in the wall before the end of the race. However, there was a moment that almost completely changed the NASCAR Playoffs. Chase Elliott had his car demolished as he tried to cut down in front of John Hunter Nemechek.

With the benefit of hindsight, it is clear that this was a racing thing. No one driver is wholly absolved of wrongdoing here. Everyone helped, is what I’m saying.

Elliot likely wasn’t completely clear, Nemechek didn’t check up and give Elliott a break, and then Hamlin was there to finish it all off when Nemechek did ultimately check up and the 11 got into the back of the 42.

A day after the race, Denny Hamlin saw that he was accused of causing the incident. He was a little confused.

“Say what? Lol,” Hamlin wrote in response to a tweet from Jeff Gluck of The Athletic. Clearly, these drivers don’t see eye-to-eye on this wreck.

It was another strong race for John Hunter Nemechek. He didn’t manage to get a top-10 finish again, but P14 last night was respectable for what this Legacy organization has done in the past.

As far as the Chase Elliott and Denny Hamlin incident goes, things happen. Drivers accuse others in the moment, and always will.

Denny Hamlin enters Round of 12 as top driver

When it comes to points, Denny Hamlin has the most entering the Round of 12 in the NASCAR Playoffs. He has won enough stages and races to carry over more points to the next round than any other driver in the series.

With five race wins this season, Hamlin leads the Cup Series. He has been fantastic throughout the year, and his wins are spread out over the 29 races that have come and gone so far.

Looking at the next round, it is clear what the strategy is for Hamlin. Get enough points, or win, at New Hampshire and Kansas, and then the Roval won’t matter. What he doesn’t want is to have to make up points from below the cutline at the road course-oval Frankenstein’s Monster that is the Roval.

Denny Hamlin has been at the top of his game lately. Does that continue throughout the NASCAR Playoffs? Or will the wheels come off this bandwagon soon enough?