Gifts for NASCAR Fans
Following a dramatic finish at Kansas Speedway, Joe Gibbs Racing driver and 23XI Racing co-owner, Denny Hamlin, told fans that “If they’re wanting an apology, they can turn off now,” on the latest episode of his podcast Action’s Detrimental.
While Sunday’s race at Kansas Speedway was perhaps one of the most thrilling finishes of the 2025 season, it was yet another race in which Toyota teammates may have raced each other a little too hard.
Entering turns three and four, 23XI Racing owner Denny Hamlin ran his driver, Bubba Wallace, up the track and into the outside wall, allowing Chase Elliott to pass both cars and win the race. As a result, not only did the Hamlin walk away without a trip to victory lane as driver or owner, but Toyota, which dominated on Saturday, walked away empty-handed.
In the latest episode of Action’s Detrimental, Hamlin addressed his run-in with his driver in a rather blunt manner, telling fans, “If they’re wanting an apology, they can turn off now.”
Of course, there had been questions since Hamlin and NBA Legend Michael Jordan launched 23XI in 2021 as to how Hamlin would act in such a scenario on track, would he race them hard? Would he settle for second?
The 44-year-old went on to say that, in his opinion, there was a race to be won, and when he’s on track on Sunday, he’s a driver, not an owner.
“I definitely won’t apologize for racing for the win. . . On Sunday, I am the driver. The person in the 11 car is the driver. That’s where the disconnect, I think, comes from, is that people expect me to be a different person, they expect me to be the guy with a 23XI shirt on when I’m in the 11 car, and that’s just not possible.” — Denny Hamlin
As a result of Wallace not bringing home the win, and thus missing out on an automatic qualifying bid for the next round of the playoffs, the two 23XI Racing playoff cars find themselves facing elimination at the ROVAL this next weekend. Though this is a tough spot for a team coming off a championship four-run season in 2024, in Hamlin’s opinion, it’s not his job to advance his team to the next round.
“It is not up to me to get 23XI into the Round of Eight, if that makes any sense,” Hamlin said. “That’s not my responsibility. My responsibility is [to] get the 11 into the Round of Eight .”
Though the situation was pretty cut and dry to the viewing audience, Hamlin, who is pursuing his first NASCAR Cup Series title in his 21st season, ran through what happened, saying, “I was closer to the 23 than I had budgeted for,” while reiterating, “I’m not going to apologize for trying to win the race.”
As unapologetic as he was in recounting Sunday’s race, Hamlin did note, however, that the situation “was super unfortunate.” Saying, “I hated it for my team, and I also hate it for the 23 team.”
Even though Hamlin ran through another way to achieve his pass on Wallace, he did say that he would have made the same split-second decision “the next morning,” but he does seem to regret the outcome.
“The decision I made in a matter of a split second is not that different than what I would do the next morning. I just wish the outcome was a little different.”
While he sits 48 points above the cutline, his two playoff drivers, Reddick and Wallace, are 29 and 26 points below, respectively. While this is not a guarantee that they will be eliminated, as both have become solid road course racers, this comes during a year of turnaround for both drivers. Reddick, despite failing to win this year, is known for his consistency, and Wallace is improving his performance.
During this episode, Hamlin even complimented Wallace, saying, “Bubba’s turnaround over the last years, I can’t believe it, truthfully. The maturity that he has shown, he’s been the lead car at 23XI.”
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
