Kyle Larson Forced to Let Go of Denny Hamlin’s Frustrated Outburst as the Joe Gibbs Veteran Finally Becomes Relevant in Iowa

Denny Hamlin was way out of the top 10 in the starting lineup for the Iowa Corn 350. Being one of the short-track kings this season, this was thoroughly unexpected. By lap 24, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver was even falling outside the top 30, as he was ‘plowing‘ through the corners. But Hamlin regained his mojo around lap 180 and snuggled with his front-row rivals, even nudging his old frenemy, Kyle Larson.

Did Denny Hamlin annoy Kyle Larson?

The first stage was largely a feud between Kyle Larson and Ryan Blaney, who exchanged leads several times. Meanwhile, Denny Hamlin was dragging his wheels in the rear. “It’s like the tires are on backward,” he reported over the radio.

By lap 180, Hamlin had cracked the top ten and reached the eighth spot. But he trumpeted his arrival loudly by nudging one of the race leaders. This happened when Kyle Larson was battling to change his third spot but got a little loose in turns 1 and 2. Denny Hamlin got tight right then and delivered a blow to Larson, and that pushed the Hendrick driver way up the racetrack.

Kyle Larson fumed over the radio, “Can you go ask (spotter Chris) Lambert what the fuck? I know Denny is having a rough day, but…” But the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports crew chief, Cliff Daniels, took a merciful approach. “We are going to let that go. That’s what we’re going to do. It was unfortunate. I don’t understand it. But we’re going to let it go. We have the fastest car in the field by a ridiculous amount. We’re going to keep our eyes forward.”

This rivalry is significant as it echoes the 2023 Pocono debacle. There, the two were racing tightly as well when Hamlin hit Larson, and the latter slammed the outer wall. Kyle Larson became vengeful as well when he hit Hamlin’s door on the front stretch. This time, however, his crew chief stopped him from using any retributive tactics.

Let us wait and see how Kyle Larson’s rage progresses through the rest of the race.