Skip to main content
Join Now
NASCAR Logo

Denny Hamlin sounds off on Cody Ware swinging and missing on Austin Dillon payback: 'Just dumb'

ProfilePhotoby: Nick Geddes09/23/25NickGeddesNews
Cody Ware
Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Cody Ware broke the No. 1 rule in stock car racing during Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The rule states, “if you’re going to wreck somebody, don’t wreck yourself in the process.”

Ware tried to wreck Austin Dillon in Stage 3 at New Hampshire. It was Ware who ended up with a junked race car. Denny Hamlin called it a “stupid” and “dumb” move on Ware’s part.

“We were gonna finish fifth before frickin’ Cody Ware tried to wreck Austin Dillon. … That was just stupid. Just dumb,” Hamlin said on Monday’s Actions Detrimental podcast. “Rule No. 1 is you never wreck yourself when you’re trying to wreck someone else. I don’t think Rick Ware Racing is in a position to be tearing up race cars, but I get it he’s upset.

“I guess what happened is Austin spun him earlier in the race. It was 40 laps to go, and Cody felt that was the time to get back at him. Instead, [it] certainly altered out finish and others, some for the better and some for the worse. Just gotta let these races play out naturally and that one didn’t.”

Cody Ware nearly ruined Austin Dillon’s solid run at New Hampshire

Dillon and Ware had an incident earlier in the race. Ware chose with less than 50 laps in a playoff race to get payback. It didn’t work and some drivers, such as Hamlin, paid the price. Hamlin said he could have had a top five finish if not for the late caution. He finished 12th. Dillon didn’t understand why Ware did what he did.

“What an idiot. What an idiot,” Dillon said on the radio. “Why is he out here?”

Dillon finished 13th, a nice run for the No. 3 team after their postseason elimination the week prior at Bristol Motor Speedway. It could have been completely different if Ware properly carried out his intentions.

“Proud of the effort from our team. We fought hard for that one,” Dillon said. “The car was more rigid over the bumps and lacked rear grip at the beginning. We got on the other side of that but then were too tight. [Crew chief Richard] Boswell and the guys kept making adjustments, and we definitely made it better. The top rolled on restarts to gain ground at the end, and we came home with a solid finish, which was needed after our last few weeks.”