Martin Truex Jr. admittedly "lost his mind" after scandalous Richmond overtime restart, claims Denny Hamlin

NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin has claimed that Martin Truex Jr. "lost his mind" after controversially missing out on the Richmond Cup race victory to his JGR teammate.

Following up on a standout 2023 campaign, Martin Truex Jr. has been off to a promising start in the 2024 season. The veteran driver, who signed a one-year renewal with Joe Gibbs Racing last season, has consistently delivered top 10 finishes in the ongoing campaign, making his case among the front-runners of the sport.

While a win still eludes him this season, NASCAR Cup Series' Toyota Owners 400 came along as an ideal opportunity for Truex to clinch his first win of the year. Having led a race-high 228 laps on the short-track Richmond surface, the 43-year-old was seemingly cruising to victory before a last-gasp Kyle Larson spin sent the race into overtime.

The subsequent restart saw MTJ being overtaken by his teammate Denny Hamlin. The latter drove to victory, his second of the season, whereas the No. 19 Toyota driver had to settle for a fourth-place finish.

Martin Truex Jr. let his frustration be known after the race when he spoke to the media. Truex accused Hamlin of jumping on the restart, causing fans to speculate a potential rift between the two Joe Gibbs Racing teammates.

Addressing the situation in a recent episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, Denny Hamlin revealed having a conversation with Truex shortly after the race. Shedding light on the details of their interaction, Hamlin stated:

"I texted him and I says, 'am I missing something of why are you so upset?' I will paraphrase it for you, he says 'no, we are all good. I just lost my mind.' That's all, that's what he said paraphrasing."

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Denny Hamlin feels "bad" for Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 19 team

While Hamlin secured his second win of the season after Bristol, the finish left a dominant Martin Truex Jr. seething with disappointment. Expressing sympathy for his teammate and the No. 19 Toyota camp, Hamlin added:

"My response is that, well, rightfully so. You obviously deserved to win the race. He had the race won, but surely that was a bad five minutes for him and the #19 team."

Despite the incident, Martin Truex Jr. continues to maintain his lead in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. The veteran driver, the oldest on the circuit, has 270 points to his name after seven races, courtesy of two top-5 finishes at Bristol and Richmond.

Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin, the winner of both the aforementioned Cup Series races, finds himself placed in third position. He has 252 points to his name, four less than Hendrick Motorsports' Kyle Larson.