Kyle Larson and Denny Hamlin have unquestionably been two of the best cars each Sunday through the first 19 races of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series campaign. Both have three wins, along with Larson’s Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron and are considered favorites to reach the Championship 4 race in Phoenix.
Running in the front of the field, where every move matters more, is where rivalries are born. The rivalry between the two drivers has been a hot topic of conversation in NASCAR circles this week after incidents in consecutive weeks at New Hampshire and Nashville. The 2021 champion addressed the subject during a July 4 appearance on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
🤝 “Ready to move on.”
@KyleLarsonRacin is ready to put things between him and @dennyhamlin in the past and focus on winning a championship in 2024.
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“I think Nashville was really the first time I got to — I feel like in my mind — show that I’m over it or like over the way that I’ve been raced,” Larson said, talking about an incident late in Stage 2 where he slid up the track and took Hamlin with him up toward the wall. “Now, going forward, I think I’m ready to move on. Like, I’ve got zero issues at this point. I would like a little bit of respect on the racetrack and a little bit more room than maybe I’ve been given.
“And yeah, I think if we can do that, we can go back to racing fair and challenging each other fairly for wins because I think that we are the two top teams in the sport right now. So we’re going to be battling for a lot more wins together and all that throughout the races and all that. So I’ve enjoyed racing in the past. It’s just we’ve had a few run-ins but, like I said, I’m ready to just move on and and go back to having fun racing each other. Nashville is what it is and like I said, just ready to move on.”
Denny Hamlin Officially Acknowledges Kyle Larson Rivalry
Denny Hamlin wouldn’t admit that there was a rivalry with Larson on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast after the June 23 New Hampshire race, where the HMS car was on the receiving end of the No. 11 pilot’s aggressive actions. A week later following the June 30 Nashville race, the three-time Daytona 500 champion offered a different opinion.
“This is now three instances in a row, so now I feel like, okay, I need to respond,” Hamlin told show co-host Jared Allen and guest Tyler Reddick, when talking about what happened at Nashville with Larson. “So, I’m in this for the long haul. I’m fine with the way we’re racing, and it’s going to keep going, and it’s going to keep getting raised.”
“So, is it a rivalry?” Allen asked the driver.
“Sure if you want to call it that,” Hamlin responded.
“Hey, he’s finally calling it one,” Reddick said. “Last week he wouldn’t do it.”
“I just said, fine, I don’t care what you want to call it,” the 23XI Racing co-owner countered.
Will Larson Stay Aggressive With Hamlin in the Future?
Looking back over the last several years since the introduction of the Gen 7 car in 2022, there’s no denying Hamlin has become quite adept at intermediate tracks allowing his car to wash up the track into the car on the outside, which forces that driver to decide between getting squeezed into the wall or lifting.
Kyle Larson wasn’t happy with spotter Tyler Monn after his comments on Denny Hamlin. 😳
It happened at Pocono last year with Larson. It happened again at New Hampshire in June. At Nashville, the HMS driver turned the tables. And based on the 2021 champ’s remarks, his aggressive move was a message that he’s had enough. He hopes to have a little more respect and with that a little more room on the track from his friend and fellow competitor.
And if he doesn’t get it? We just might see another incident between the Nos. 5 and 11 cars in Chicago or the coming weeks.
NASCAR fans are fine with that because they have been waiting for the next great rivalry, and this one just might fit the bill.
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Kyle Larson Addresses Denny Hamlin Rivalry & Wants Respect on Track