NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin recently responded to a fan's criticism of his 'signature move.' Hamlin is known to force his competitors towards the wall as he takes his desired racing line while passing through the field.
A three-time Daytona 500 winner, Hamlin drives the #11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Cup Series where he competes full-time. Over his 20-year career, the Virginia native has amassed 74 race wins across all NASCAR divisions, with 54 of those coming in the Cup Series.
NASCAR's recent return to Richmond sparked much controversy after Austin Dillon's race-winning move. Dillon managed a double-contact pass in the final lap of overtime and secured a victory in the Cook Out 400. Hamlin, who was in P3, tried to pass Dillon by taking the inside line, his popular signature move, while Dillon was battling Joey Logano. However, Dillon made contact with the #11 car and sent him into the barriers before crossing the finish line.
A fan critiqued Denny Hamlin's move via a post on X (formerly Twitter) and said:
"Forcing the guy up off the corner is Denny's signature move. It’s 100% what led to him getting turned into the wall."
Several Hamlin fans sided with the #11 driver, saying he took the inside line, and that Dillon purposely moved into him. The seemingly disgruntled fan responded to this by saying that Hamlin should not have run on the "normal line" when they were three-wide in the final stretch.
Hamlin then took matters into his own hands and responded to the displeased fan, saying:
"I think you are unwell."
The #11 driver Denny Hamlin crossed the finish line in P2 at Richmond Raceway. He is currently P4 on the Cup Series driver standings with 758 points. He has secured three wins this season, confirming his spot in the playoffs.
Denny Hamlin's crew chief expresses concern after Richmond controversy - "Takes our sport in a bad place"
The crew chief of the #11 team Joe Gibbs Racing, Chris Gabeheart did not hold back on his criticism of Austin Dillon's debatable move in the Cook Out 400.
Gabeheart spoke to the content director at Frontstretch, noting that Dillon intentionally wrecked both Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano to secure his first win of the season. He said:
"At some point, it's either got to be a sport, or it's got to be, you know, wrestling. And those kinds of dangerous moves are just deemed acceptable, and that's what you teach young racers coming up, that that's okay to do. And I just, that takes our sport in a really bad place." [01:43]
Penske's #22 crew chief Paul Wolfe also shared the same criticism as Gabeheart in an interview with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, calling it "far from racing" and disappointing overall.