TC Daily Pit Stop: Denny Hamlin Makes Aggressive Move to Win Pocono; Larson 'Pissed'; Preece Unleashes Expletive-Filled Rant on LaJoie; Dillon Angry After Helmet Throw, and More from Pocono
TC Daily Pit Stop: Monday, July 24th, 2023
Denny Hamlin Runs Kyle Larson Into Wall; Collects 50th Cup Series Victory at Pocono
Sunday’s HighPoint.com 400 at Pocono Raceway definitely didn’t disappoint.
Denny Hamlin, driving the No. 11 Mavis Tires & Brakes Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing, scored his 50th NASCAR Cup Series win in Sunday’s event, and the 600th win for Toyota in NASCAR’s top-three divisions.
The 42-year-old driver made an aggressive late-race move on Kyle Larson, which saw the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro slap the outside wall at the exit of the first corner, giving Hamlin the lead, and control of the race.
Hamlin would return to the frontstretch for his victory lane celebration to a chorus of boos, to which the seven-time Pocono winner had the following remark: “I love it. They can boo my rock out here in a few years.”
Tyler Reddick would rebound from an alternate strategy call to finish in second, while Martin Truex, Jr., Kevin Harvick, and Ty Gibbs completed the top-five finishers. Christopher Bell, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., Harrison Burton, Erik Jones, and Chase Elliott rounded out the top-10.
RACE RECAP
RACE RESULTS
DRIVER STANDINGS
OWNER STANDINGS
INSPECTION REPORT
Actions Hypocritical: Kyle Larson ‘Pissed’ at Denny Hamlin After Late Contact Erases Shot at Win
Kyle Larson, who tends to keep his cool following on-track incidents, was anything but reserved following Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway, where he was put into the outside wall by eventual winner Denny Hamlin with seven to go.
The 2021 NASCAR Cup Series champion was quite upset with Hamlin, his good friend off-track, saying that he’s “been cost a lot of good finishes by him throughout my career.”
“Yeah, we’re friends. Yes, this makes things shitty and awkward. Whatever. He’s always right,” Larson said. “All the buddies know Denny is always right. I’m sure he was in the right there as well. It is what it is. I’m not going to let it tarnish a friendship on the track, but I am pissed. And I feel like I should be pissed.”
The frustration was a further source of frustration, after Larson had battled back to contend for the victory, after getting spun on a restart early in the race.
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“I Just Need to Start Wrecking Some People,” Says Austin Dillon After Crash, Helmet Throw at Pocono
Austin Dillon was another driver, much like Kyle Larson, who wasn’t necessarily happy with how things played out in Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Pocono, after an early spun, and an awesome rebound, came to a crashing halt.
At the start of the final stage, Dillon made contact with Tyler Reddick, sending his No. 3 BREZTRI Chevrolet Camaro into the outside wall with significant force, which had the Richard Childress Racing driver fuming.
Even after attempting to throw his helmet at the No. 45, Dillon’s interview exiting the care center, further captured his true emotions.
“I heard [NBC’s] replay said that I came down a little bit. I felt like I was holding my own,” Dillon said. “He was at my left rear going in there, and I knew we were three-wide. I think I’ve got the right to at least hold my lane. I’ve got to turn at some point to get down.
When asked if Dillon would need to have a conversation with Tyler Reddick, the Welcome, North Carolina native, simply said: “No, I just need to start wrecking some people.”
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WATCH VIDEO - CRASH/HELMET THROW
Video: Ryan Preece Delivers Expletive-Filled Rant to Corey LaJoie Post-Pocono
Ryan Preece is probably the winner of the ‘Angriest Driver’ title from Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series event at Pocono Raceway, after the driver of the No. 41 Ford Mustang was turned around exiting the Tunnel Turn with two laps to go.
Preece was HEATED, exiting his car and RUNNING to the side of Corey LaJoie’s No. 7 Chevrolet Camaro, where he delivered an expletive-filled rant in the direction of the Spire Motorsports driver.
“[expletive] [expletive] you piece of [expletive], that was [expletive] bull-[expletive] and you [expletive] know it,” said Preece.
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Video: Logano, Suarez Swept up in Seven-Car Crash at Pocono
The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs faced some major implications on Sunday, thanks to an early-race accident which involved Daniel Suarez, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell and several others.
Just after winning the first stage, Logano was back in the pack, when he got turned around by Tyler Reddick, sending him into the path of the No. 99 Chevrolet Camaro, who entered the race a single point below the cutline.
The damage would be too substantial for either Suarez or Logano to continue, finishing 35th and 36th,
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