Denny Hamlin comes to 'expensive' realization in NASCAR interview after win

Sian Jones Mon, June 1, 2026 at 12:15 PM UTC

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AUTO: MAY 31 NASCAR Cup Series Cracker Barrel 400

Denny Hamlin secured victory at the Cracker Barrel 400 (Image: Getty)

Denny Hamlin had plenty to celebrate after adding another victory to his impressive NASCAR resume, but the win also came with an unexpected downside after a late crash involving Tyler Reddick.

On the final lap of Sunday's Cup Series race in Nashville, a tight multi-car fight for a top-five finish turned chaotic. With fresh right-side tires, Reddick slipped between Chase Elliott and Shane van Gisbergen exiting Turn 4, with all three running side-by-side to the finish line separated by just 0.005 seconds. After review, NASCAR scored van Gisbergen fifth, Reddick sixth, and Elliott seventh.

However, moments after they crossed the line, contact involving Ryan Blaney sent Elliott into Reddick, causing the No. 45 to be hooked hard into the outside wall. The impact was severe and heavily damaged the car, though Reddick was able to walk away unharmed. It comes as Kyle Busch's longtime spotter reveals what he was really like behind the scenes.

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"Oh my god, let me know if they're okay," radioed Blaney upon seeing the wreck unfold in front of him. "Oh my god, I did not mean to do that."

During a post-race interview Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI Racing which Reddick drives for, was shown a replay of the crash and was unaware it had taken place. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver shared his initial reaction. "That looks expensive, d---." said Hamlin.

After the race, Blaney accepted full responsibility for the incident and later visited Tyler Reddick in person to apologize and check on Reddick. "My sincere apologies to Tyler," said Blaney.

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"I was trying to push the #9 [Elliott] at the top of three (wide) and got Chase sideways, and ended up hooking Tyler, so I hope he's okay. Gosh, I did not mean to do that. Hope he's all right, but I'm proud of the fight from my No. 12 guys."

Elliott also expressed relief after learning that Reddick was unhurt, saying after the race: "I'm glad. I heard Tyler's okay. I'm glad he's all right. That had to be a big hit. Ryan was -- nothing intentional on my end obviously. Ryan was trying to push me to the line and got super out of shape. The 45 was just kind of in the way unfortunately for me spinning. Hate that."

Reddick was initially quite heated on the radio in the immediate aftermath of the crash, likely reacting to the shock of the incident, but later held no ill will toward Blaney after being evaluated and released from the infield care center."Yeah, I'm feeling good," said Reddick. "Certainly, when you take the checkered flag, you're expecting to cool down, come down pit road, and head home.

"But yeah, in the moment, I didn't necessarily know who clipped me or whatnot, but got to see the replay and it's just a chain-reaction. It's what everyone is trying to do -- push back to the line, and have the best finish possible.I appreciate Blaney, he came by right away and apologized. But it was just a racing deal. Blaney is trying to push Chase, and it just happens sometimes. It's a bummer."

Pole-sitter Hamlin led at the drop of the green flag but was penalized and sent to the back of the 38-car field for jumping the start. Despite the setback, he mounted a strong recovery drive and worked his way back through the pack over the remaining 300 laps to win the Cracker Barrel 400.

It comes after Busch's death certificate outlined a horrific 'chain of events' leading to his passing.

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Source: “AOL Sports”