Denny Hamlin Seeks Forgiveness From Christopher Bell After Massive Talladega Wreck
Denny Hamlin, a veteran driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, issued a public apology to his teammate Christopher Bell after causing a major wreck during the first restart of Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway. The incident unfolded in a race that had, up to that point, been one of the cleanest Talladega events in recent memory.
The Incident on the Restart
After the first caution of the day, Christopher Bell found himself at the front of the pack alongside RFK Racing’s Chris Buescher. Both drivers were receiving strong pushes from their respective teammates as the field came up to speed. Denny Hamlin, driving the No. 11 Toyota, was pushing Bell’s No. 20 Toyota in an effort to help him maintain the lead. However, as they accelerated down the backstretch just after the green flag, Hamlin pushed Bell too aggressively before the cars were fully up to speed
This miscalculated push caused Bell to lose control of his car, which then turned sharply to the inside. Bell’s car collided head-on with the inside wall, suffering significant damage, while Buescher, who was racing alongside, was also redirected into the wall, hitting it sideways and sustaining less severe damage.
Hamlin’s Immediate Reaction
Hamlin was audibly disturbed by the outcome and quickly took to his team radio to apologize for the incident. He expressed confusion about how the wreck happened, stating:
“Man…apologies if that’s on me. We weren’t even up to speed yet. I don’t know why that would have wrecked him. When he shot down to the bottom, I wasn’t even sure I was actually on him.”Both Bell and Buescher were able to exit their cars under their own power and were evaluated and released from the infield care center, but their races ended prematurely-Bell finished 37th and Buescher 36th
Bell’s Perspective
After the crash, Christopher Bell reflected on the incident, acknowledging the inherent risks of superspeedway racing and expressing that he held no hard feelings toward Hamlin. Bell explained:
“Whenever you’re the car getting pushed, you’re completely at the mercy of the guy behind you. You know, Denny didn’t do anything wrong. You have to push, you have to push to be successful. It’s a product of the cars we race with this rules package.”
Bell also noted that his safety equipment performed well and that he felt physically fine despite the severity of the impact.
Hamlin’s Frustration With Ross Chastain
Later in the race, Hamlin was almost involved in another major incident, this time with his frequent rival Ross Chastain. As the TRD (Toyota Racing Development) draft train made progress toward the front, Chastain, running in a separate draft, suddenly moved into the Toyota line. This abrupt move nearly caused another wreck due to the speed variance, frustrating Hamlin and stalling the Toyota team’s momentum.
The Talladega wreck highlighted the razor-thin margin for error in superspeedway racing, especially when aggressive drafting and pushing are necessary for success. Hamlin’s immediate apology and Bell’s understanding response underscored the mutual respect between teammates, even in the aftermath of a costly mistake
