Martin Truex Jr. was extremely upset with Denny Hamlin after the race in Richmond.
Although most of the race in Richmond last week unfolded as expected, the final laps of the event were quite eventful. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver was about to secure a victory and was just half a lap away from receiving the white flag when NASCAR unexpectedly called a yellow flag, extending the race into overtime. Truex Jr., who was in third place up to that point, emerged victorious in the battle in the pits and ended up winning the race.
However, the drama did not end there. Truex Jr., who was frustrated with his defeat, repeatedly bumped into Hamlin from behind to express his emotions. This behavior was uncharacteristic of the No. 19 driver. In his post-race interview, the 2017 champion called out Hamlin for causing and getting involved in very aggressive races against his own teammate.
After the race, Hamlin sat down with NASCAR Hall of Famer on the Dale Jr. Download podcast to discuss the victory. When asked about the post-race drama, he revealed that veteran drivers have not attended the competition meeting in person for the past three years.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. was not surprised by Hamlin’s statement about Truex Jr. not attending the meeting. As former teammates and close friends, he knows that the No. 19 driver often prefers to spend time outdoors. Hamlin, in discussing the matter, highlighted that his teammate is finding the therapy he needs by immersing himself in nature.
Although he believes he did nothing wrong, the three-time Daytona 500 winner expressed sympathy for the 2017 champion and acknowledged feeling bad about what happened. He believes Truex Jr. will be able to move on after a good night’s sleep.
Last week in Richmond, Martin Truex Jr. had every right to be furious. He lost a race that should have been his, due to an incident that had nothing to do with him. What made it even more frustrating was the fact that this was the sixth race in the last 10 years in Richmond where he failed to secure a victory, despite leading for over 100 laps. He will be hoping for a strong performance in Martinsville to bounce back.
