Denny Hamlin is fully convinced that Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will 'absolutely' take revenge on Carson Hocevar for Nashville
Denny Hamlin believes Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won't let Carson Hocevar go for his aggressive move at Nashville Superspeedway. Hamlin is certain that a payback wreck is on the cards and suggested that Hocevar shouldn't be 'surprised' if it happens.
Driving the No.77 Chevy, Hocevar drew the ire of Stenhouse Jr. en route to his career-best finish in second. On lap 106, the Spire Motorsports driver nudged the rear of the No.47 Chevy, which led to Stenhouse Jr. losing control and backing into the outside wall. The crash ultimately took him out of the race and logged his first DNF of the season. Stenhouse Jr. spoke to the media post-race and revealed that he'll personally confront Hocevar about his 'overaggressive' play.
On Monday, June 2, Hamlin discussed the controversial incident in an episode of his podcast, Actions Detrimental.
"Ricky Stenhouse will absolutely wreck Carson Hocevar sometime in the near future. You know he ain't gonna punch him in the face, but he will absolutely wreck. If you're Carson, just know that it's coming, so don't be surprised. There's nothing I'm more confident of, other than Jordan having a baby and Ricky reckoning Carson," he said via Dirty Mo Media.
"This is where Amazon did a really good job. Their analysis said Carson had an opportunity to be empathetic to Ricky Stenhouse, whom he just wrecked, and he chose not to. It's gonna come back to him," he added.
Denny Hamlin finished the 300-lap event one spot behind Hocevar in third. Notably, the race marked Hamlin's 700th Cup Series start.
Denny Hamlin reflects upon his milestone weekend at Nashville
Denny Hamlin, who began the Cracker Barrel 400 race in second, fell short of the top spot after Ryan Blaney and Carson Hocevar outpaced him in the final laps. Despite winning Stage 1, Hamlin lost momentum as the race unfolded and had to settle for a winless effort in his 700th Cup Series start.
Hamlin initially struggled to pass his Joe Gibbs Racing teammate and polesitter Chase Briscoe but moved into the lead by lap 83. He maintained his lead well into the second stage before dropping places from a three-way battle with William Byron and Ryan Blaney on lap 169. The Team Penske driver held on to his lead for 139 laps to capture the second stage and, ultimately, the checkered flag.
Reflecting upon Blaney's pace, Hamlin told NASCAR reporter Alan Cavana:
“Just needed to be a little faster. The 12 (driven by Ryan Blaney) had exceptional long-run speed, just couldn't hang with him after about 40 laps on tires. They just had a lot of speed, we were kind of next in line.”
“Just needed to be a little faster. The 12 (driven by Ryan Blaney) had exceptional long-run speed, just couldn't hang with him after about 40 laps on tires. They just had a lot of speed, we were kind of next in line.”
The result, however, moved Denny Hamlin two spots up the drivers' standings to land at fourth with 443 points. His stage win helped him secure a 53-point haul from the event, just one behind Blaney's total of 54.