Denny Hamlin’s criticism of Joe Gibbs Racing’s pit crew after the Kansas race has ignited a war of words, with NASCAR legend Kevin Harvick stepping in to condemn Hamlin’s outburst. But it didn’t end there—Hamlin clapped back, accusing Harvick of hypocrisy by bringing up past comments the 48-year-old made in a similar situation.
Hamlin was fuming after his chances of a Kansas victory were derailed by repeated pit crew errors. He had led a whopping 71 laps and seemed to be on track for his first win of the season, only to see the race slip away, ultimately finishing eighth. Hamlin didn’t mince words, directly calling out his pit crew for the blunders that cost him the win.
However, Harvick, the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series champion, wasn’t impressed by Hamlin’s public criticism. During his race analysis, Harvick made it clear that he believes drivers should keep their cool and not let emotions get the best of them, even in tough moments.
“I give up. Why in the world would you say that?” Harvick said. “Part of what you do as a race car driver is you have to be a poker player. When you have that driver’s suit on, you can’t open your mouth and put yourself in a worse spot.”
But Hamlin didn’t let that slide. He took to social media and posted a screenshot of Harvick’s comments from the 2016 Darlington race, where Harvick had also lashed out at his pit crew. By doing so, Hamlin made it clear he wasn’t going to be lectured by someone who had done the same thing.
Harvick’s remarks were aimed at how drivers should handle the pressure without publicly blaming their team, while Hamlin was quick to point out the contradiction in Harvick’s own actions.
The drama at Kansas wasn’t just about pit crew errors. Hamlin, like many drivers in the Next Gen cars, has struggled with the fragility of the underbody. Damage to this critical part of the car, though unseen, can severely affect performance. Hamlin voiced his concerns, noting how even small hits to the underbody could ruin a driver’s chances—an especially crucial detail as the season winds down.
“These things are fragile on the underside,” Hamlin explained. “You roll over some duct tape, you’re risking losing a lot of speed in your car. It happened to us at Michigan… when I spun through the infield there, it just destroyed it.”
As Hamlin fights for a spot in the final eight, sitting just 11 points above the cutline, the pressure is mounting. The next two races could determine whether the veteran driver gets another shot at securing his elusive first Cup Series title.
With tensions rising between Harvick and Hamlin, and both drivers unafraid to call each other out, this feud adds even more drama to the final stretch of the 2024 NASCAR season.
