Hamlin Confronts Logano on 3-Wide Move, Then Takes His Word for It

Denny Hamlin says he believes Joey Logano's explanation for the Martinsville contact that spun Hamlin and Christopher Bell.

Hamlin and Bell both spun after contact from Logano on Sunday at Martinsville Speedway.

On this week's Actions Detrimental, his weekly motorsports podcast, Hamlin explained the conversation the two had since then.

Logano went three-wide and made contact with Bell, who slid into Hamlin.

Both Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas spun.

What Logano Told Hamlin

Hamlin said he asked Logano why he forced the move when there was no one behind them.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined Hamlin as a guest host for the episode.

"I said, 'Hey, did you really feel like you had to jam it in there three-wide? There was actually nobody behind us; we were the last cars on the racetrack because we had to take the wave-around from the Hocevar self-spin,'" Hamlin said.

Logano's radio line during the race was "Leave me room," according to Heavy.

Hamlin then shared Logano's reply.

"He said, 'I'll be honest with you. I thought the 20 was just blocking me down the straightaway. I didn't know he was on the inside of you,'" Hamlin said.

"And I looked at it, and I'm like, I can see where that'd be a possibility. And so I just said, 'Gotcha, I understand.' I take him at face value on that," he added.

Hamlin said the in-car camera from Logano's No. 22 Ford backs that up.

"If you look at his in-car, you can't see me," Hamlin said.

He added, "And so it looks like Joey got a run off, and it looks like, if I'm Joey, the 20 is just trying to block me."

"And he's like, 'Well, [expletive] that,'" Hamlin added.

"Hey, I'ma just pop him here and send him up to the wall a little bit," someone else on the show chimed in.

"And I just was the innocent guy that was there," Hamlin said.

Hamlin and Logano have a long history.

They have clashed on and off the track since Logano left Joe Gibbs Racing for Team Penske, including at Martinsville in 2019.

What It Means for the Title Fight

The spin came after Hamlin had already lost track position by staying out in Stage 1.

He called his title chances unrealistic after finishing sixth.

Logano finished 18th at Martinsville, and Bell recovered to finish 10th.

Hamlin is third in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, 70 points behind Kyle Larson.

Bell is second, 67 back.

The Cup finale is Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where Larson can clinch his third title.

How the Championship Race Works

NASCAR's current playoff format, introduced in 2004 and revised several times, crowns the champion based on a season-long points system with a winner-take-all final race.

Drivers earn points for race finishes, stage finishes, and bonus points for wins.

At Homestead, the highest-finishing driver among the four Championship 4 contenders wins the title.

Larson holds a 67-point lead over Bell heading into the season finale.

He needs only nine points to secure his second consecutive Cup title and third in six years.

He will get one point for starting the race and could earn more based on where he finishes the opening stage.

Even if Larson struggles, either Bell or Hamlin would need to accumulate significant points to catch him.

The maximum points for a race is 76.

Larson's Championship Media Day

Larson's championship media day at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Thursday could be summed up in one word: awkward.

Larson was the lone Cup Series "contender" on hand for the event.

Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin, both technically still in the mix for the title, were excused.

So Larson was alone on the stage, the first time that's happened since NASCAR moved to a playoff format more than two decades ago.

"We've earned the right for it to be awkward," Larson quipped. "I like awkwardness."

Larson insists he's still feeling some pressure despite the cushion.

"Man, you've done such great work to this point to put yourself in position," Larson said.

"I would just hate for something crazy to happen, to eliminate all the work that we've gone to get ourselves in a great position to where you don't have to score a ton of points.

"I think that's the pressure. Like, man, don't (screw) it up at this point."

He expects those butterflies to end once he slides into his No. 5 Chevrolet.

"I foresee my race looking like any other Homestead race for me: try to get to the front and manage the race from there," he said.

"Hopefully the first stage goes well and then you can really just race free after that. I still don't think it's going to change the approach of the race, but you can race with less worry at that point."

Larson is trying to become the 11th driver in NASCAR history with three Cup titles, joining a list that includes seven-time champs Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson.

Jeff Gordon has four.

Lee Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, and Darrell Waltrip also have multiple titles.

What Hamlin and Bell Need

Any chance of taking the trophy out of Larson's hands involves a must-win for either Bell or Hamlin.

Larson is a two-time Homestead race winner and the defending race champ, claiming the trophy in the March race here last year.

Hamlin is the winningest among the three contenders, with trophies in 2009, 2013, and 2020.