"Denny is very smart" - Kyle Busch's verdict on Denny Hamlin's "calculated" jump-start at Richmond

Richard Childress Racing driver and former teammate with Denny Hamlin at Joe Gibbs Racing, Kyle Busch is one driver who understands the nitty-gritty of stock car racing. The #8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 driver is one of the latest from the NASCAR world to comment on what has been arguably the hottest topic after last weekend's Cup Series race at Richmond Raceway.

Hamlin was seen winning last Sunday's race over teammate Martin Truex Jr. in a race decided during a controversial overtime restart. Fans saw Hamlin lead the field and go slightly early of the restart zone to keep off a challenging Truex Jr. along with Joey Logano to win the 2024 Toyota Owners 400.

Kyle Busch delved deeper into why Denny Hamlin decided to go where he went during the race and gave the #11 Toyota Camry XSE driver's possible reasoning behind it. He elaborated on The Kenny Wallace Show with former driver Kenny Wallace and said:

"Those guys (behind Hamlin) are trying to edge up and get that half a mile an-hour advantage to when Denny accelerates, they can accelerate and then they have the momentum, they have the run on him."

Busch added:

"Denny is very smart, he was very calculated, he understands a lot of things very well and he's probably looking in his mirror and seeing this happening around him so he wants to go early to put those guys back on their heels. I believe that's what he did."

NASCAR ultimately deemed the final restart of the race by Denny Hamlin legal, with his competitors, most notably Martin Truex Jr. left upset, at least in the moment.

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What are Kyle Busch's odds of winning the 2024 Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway?

Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch has not had the easiest of races in the past few weekends. The #8 crew at RCR and Busch's combined efforts only yielded a P20 finish in Richmond. Except for the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas, Busch's prior results at Bristol and Phoenix Raceway have also seen him finishing out of the top 20.

Coming into this weekend's Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway, Kyle Busch does not have the best odds of winning the 400-lap-long event. His numbers stack up at 28-1 according to CBS Sports, with Denny Hamlin leading the chart with odds of 9-2 in favor of a victory.

The 2024 Cook Out 400 goes live this Sunday, April 7, 2024, at 3:00 pm ET.