“I thought I was clear” - Denny Hamlin on being spun around by Kyle Busch after contact at Atlanta

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin's outing at the second race of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series did not go as planned at Atlanta Motor Speedway. The #11 Toyota Camry XSE driver was seen involved in three different wrecks during the Ambetter Health 400, one of which included his former teammate Kyle Busch.

Managing to get involved in an incident during every stage of the 400-mile-long superspeedway-style race, Hamlin finished in P23 at the end of the event while nursing his damaged Toyota.

While Hamlin's contact with Chase Briscoe came off as an incident of hard racing at a drafting-style track, the Tampa, Florida native's run-in with Kyle Busch was not clear-cut.

"I don't know what happened. I thought I was clear," Denny Hamlin said.

Denny Hamlin spoke about what he felt from the driver's seat of his car and elaborated in an interview with Bob Pockrass. He said:

"On the front stretch the #8 (Kyle Busch) spun us but I don't even know, I was still caught off guard. I don't know if I hedged too low down the straightaway, I knew I was on the outside, I'm not sure."

The 2024 Ambetter Health 400 ended spectacularly with fans pleased with a 3-wide photo finish topping the weekend off in Atlanta, Georgia, with Kyle Busch, Daniel Suarez, and Ryan Blaney battling for the win on the final lap of the race. Trackhouse Racing's Daniel Suarez ultimately managed to pip his peers and took a trip to victory lane.

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Denny Hamlin describes his run-in with Chase Briscoe during 2024 Ambetter Health 400

On a day where Denny Hamlin's race was filled with incidents with several drivers throughout the field, Stewart-Haas Racing's Chase Briscoe was also one to get involved in Hamlin's "trifecta" of wrecks during the 2024 Ambetter Health 400.

Elaborating on how he saw the wreck between him and the #14 Ford Mustang driver, Hamlin elaborated in an interview with Bob Pockrass:

"They mentioned we wrecked in every stage. We completed the trifecta. The #41 or #14 whoever ended up spinning out, I guess I ran into but I'm four wide, I had nowhere to go on the bottom. #99 (Daniel Suarez) put me four wide second from the bottom so, there's just no room."

Denny Hamlin will be looking to improve on his ultimate P23 finish next weekend as NASCAR heads to Las Vegas Motor Speedway to kick off the 2024 season's west coast swing.