Kevin Harvick reveals 'only rule' Denny Hamlin broke in racing for win against Bubba Wallace at Kansas

Kevin Harvick had no problem with Denny Hamlin racing for the win on the last lap of Sunday’s Round of 12 race at Kansas Speedway. Even though he’s a co-owner of 23XI Racing and he took Bubba Wallace out of contention, come Sunday, he is driver of the No. 11 car for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Harvick, however, said that Hamlin broke the only rule that exists in that situation. Neither Hamlin nor Wallace took the checkered flag. Chase Elliott did.

“I’ve been in a position where Denny Hamlin is in currently where you drive for another team and you own cars. And it’s really, really difficult because if he doesn’t drive in there and try to win the race and do what he did, his team is gonna be mad. When it worked out the way that it did, the only rule he broke is one of you better win,” Harvick said on Tuesday’s Happy Hour podcast. “One of you better win and it took both teams out of contention, and they handed a gimme to Chase Elliott. They had everything under control.

“That’s kind of the unwritten rule — if you’re going to bang doors with your teammate and you’re going to do all those things, you better make sure one of you wins the race. I know they’re not technically teammates, but they might as well be with the way this all goes.”

Denny Hamlin loses race for himself, Bubba Wallace at Kansas

Hamlin wanted this one bad. He led a race-high 159 laps, and he was looking for win No. 60 of his NASCAR Cup Series career. Hamlin was racing for the win and that, he won’t apologize for. That being said, he called the situation “regretful.” He does not feel anyone at 23XI should question his loyalty.

Last week, Hamlin was dealing with the fallout of wrecking JGR teammate Ty Gibbs at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. This latest incident with Wallace has now become a major talking point. It’s a tough spot for Hamlin to be in, Harvick said.

“When you’re in that car, you have to do everything to win for the car that you’re driving. That’s the obligation that you have,” Harvick said. “But in today’s world, there’s a lot on the line in the playoffs and in the end, one of them didn’t win the race. The interesting part to me is when you got to the end of the race, I mean Bubba was pretty frustrated with Denny. He called him a dumbass and referenced some things, so I can see it from his side as well not wanting to get run into to give up the race.

“I think if they would have raced door-to-door to the start/finish line, it was one thing. After the race, you can see the emotion from Denny Hamlin. That’s two weeks in a row he’s got to deal with wrecking his teammate, now taking his own car out contention. The politics of that.”