“My initial reaction is that…”: Denny Hamlin reveals initial reaction to being wrecked by Austin Dillon at Richmond

Denny Hamlin’s whirlwind Sunday at Richmond Raceway came to an unexpected end when he was crashed for the win by Austin Dillon during the Cook Out 400.

Dillon won by hooking Hamlin into the wall after taking down Joey Logano entering Turn 4. In the newest episode of his podcast, “Actions Detrimental,” Hamlin discussed his immediate reaction to being wrecked and missing out on Richmond’s season sweep.

“My initial reaction is that he must have ricocheted off the No. 22 into me,” Hamlin explained. “Like, I didn’t — I had no idea, it was just like, a deliberate, ‘I’m going left,’ you know? ‘Oh, you’re gonna win. No, you’re not.’ Like, I didn’t know it was that until I watched it, you know, because I can’t see it.

“Because all I see is literally the checkered flag straight ahead, clear racetrack, and you know, when you get right reared, trust me, I have enough experience at this now, you never really see it coming.”

In terms of his reaction to the situation, Hamlin believes it is not as black and white as many believe, and that in order to find some answers, you must examine the situation from multiple different perspectives.

“You’d have to break it down in parts, because it has so many different layers,” replied Hamlin. “It’s, you know, how do I feel about the ethics of choosing the No. 3 car at that time? What is the format that lends itself to these kind of acts? What can we do in the future with like — which component, you know, because there’s so many different layers to it that, you know, everything needs to be addressed.”

In the end, NASCAR took issue with Dillon’s action, as the No. 3 driver will be unable to use his win to qualify for the playoffs after right rear hooking Hamlin on the final lap as the two approached the start-finish line.

In addition to the points penalty, Dillon’s spotter, Brandon Benesch, was suspended for three races after yelling ‘Wreck him!’ over the team radio during the race’s last turn.

While the moment was exciting, Denny Hamlin and many other NASCAR drivers, fans, and media members demanded retribution, which the governing body delivered. However, Austin Dillon is not happy about it.