Denny Hamlin reveals whether spinning out Ty Gibbs after frustrations was intentional

Denny Hamlin made it clear that he was not intentionally trying to spin out Ty Gibbs when they made contact at the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at New Hampshire on Sunday. On the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin explained what he was trying to do when he was battling Gibbs during the second stage of the race.

“I was pretty much there into Turn 1, and then he moved down to the middle lane to cut the nose off,” Denny Hamlin said. “If you cut across someone’s nose, especially if they’re running really close to you, it will make their car kind of lift up and take off. I think he was just trying to cut across my nose to make me lose air, just to aero block me. I was so close to him, I’m like, ‘Hell no. You’re not going to do that.’I tried to shove him up to the net lane to get my position. Unfortunately, it spun him out.”

Hamlin and Ty Gibbs  were battling for 11th during Lap 110 of the NASCAR Cup Series playoff race at New Hampshire. And since it was the Round of 12 opener, it was important for Hamlin to have a strong finish to make sure he stays above the cut line.

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The incident led to Hamlin and Gibbs sounding off to their respective teams on their radios. “Does Ty know we’re going for a championship? What the [expletive]?” Hamlin radioed to his team. “Are they afraid to talk to him? That’s what I feel like — they’re scared of him.”

Hamlin is one of the 12 drivers who are still in the playoffs. He earned a P12 finish at New Hampshire and is currently fifth in the playoff standings. Hamlin has won 59 Cup Series races in his career but is still looking to win his first championship.

Gibbs is in his third season as a full-time driver in the Cup Series and is looking for his first race victory. He and Hamlin drive for Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), which is owned by Gibbs’ grandfather, legendary NFL head coach Joe Gibbs.