Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano and other NASCAR drivers shy away from compliments in playoff battle

With the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs underway, the spirit of competition is on, especially for playoff drivers. However, the likes of Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano keep it on even off the track as they refuse to give compliments to their playoff rivals.

In an Instagram post by Charlotte Motor Speedway, the NASCAR Cup playoff drivers were asked to say something nice to their competition. Denny Hamlin, Ty Gibbs, Austin Cindric, Tyler Reddick, and Joey Logano were the drivers who didn’t give a heartwarming response.

Hamlin and Gibbs, the two drivers directly above the playoff cut line after the opener in Atlanta, didn't hesitate and refused to give compliments.

“I don’t say something nice about my competition,” Hamlin said.

“No,” Gibbs responded.

Austin Cindric, who is P7 in the playoff standings, explained why he doesn't want to say something nice to his rivals.

“I don’t give out compliments too easily. So no, I won’t say anything nice about any of the playoff drivers,” he said.

NASCAR Cup Series regular-season champion Tyler Reddick initially agreed to say something nice but later opted not to. He said:

“Will I? That’s a good question. I don’t know.”

On the other hand, playoff drivers like Ryan Blaney and Chase Elliot gave short compliments to their rivals. Two of them adored Blaney’s hair.

One of them is Harrison Burton, the sole Wood Brothers Racing driver who earned his way to the playoffs after winning the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona.

“I think that Ryan Blaney has good hair. He got some solid form,” Burton said.

The man currently 9th in the playoff standings also a few words about Blaney.

“I think Ryan Blaney is doing a really great job with his hair,” Daniel Suarez responded.

Ryan Blaney, who comfortably sits in P2 behind teammate Joey Logano, congratulated the 16 drivers who made it to the postseason.

“Congratulations, you have gone to the playoffs,” the No. 12 Team Penske Ford Mustang driver said.

Chase Elliot, Brad Keselowski, and Kyle Larson complimented William Byron by saying he is a nice guy. While Elliot and Larson are above the playoff cut line (P8 and P10, respectively), Keselowski sits below it in P13.

Alex Bowman and Christopher Bell (P6 and P3 in the playoff standings, respectively) also chose Byron as the driver to compliment.

“William Byron is really good at building Legos,” Bowman said.

“I love William Byron. I love William Byron’s crew chief. I don’t know,” Bell stated.

The No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro driver, who currently ranks P5 in the 16-player postseason grid, had some sweet words for his teammates, saying he loves them.

The drivers sitting at the bottom of the playoff standings, Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Briscoe, also had a few kind words for their competition.

“Christoper Bell is very nice,” Truex Jr. said.

“Cindric is a good guy,” Briscoe responded.

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The NASCAR playoff drivers head to Watkins Glen after an eventful opener in Atlanta

NASCAR's Quaker State 400 race in Atlanta saw several playoff drivers fighting for points. Denny Hamlin stayed at the back of the pack for the entire race in anticipation of a wreck. For his controversial strategy, the 43-year-old driver finished the race in 24th, dropping him to 11th in the standings and +2 to the cut line.

The first 2024 playoff race in Atanta is in the books - Source: Imagn

Perhaps the toughest luck had gone to Kyle Larson after getting loose and hitting the wall. He collected Chase Briscoe, thus both drivers were out of the race. Larson, who entered the NASCAR playoffs as the leader, dropped to 10th and +15 to the cut line.

Ryan Blaney had an incident with Chris Buescher and playoff contender Martin Truex Jr. Blaney was running 9th when Buescher hit him and later collided with Truex Jr. While the retiring Toyota driver had a DNF, Blaney climbed his way back from P32 to P3 in 49 laps.

Tyler Reddick was also troubled in Atlanta after making contact with Carson Hocevar in the pits. When the flag fell, the No. 45 23XI Toyota driver finished in 6th.

The action returns to Watkins Glen for a road course playoff race on September 15.