{"id":1564012,"date":"2023-05-08T18:04:20","date_gmt":"2023-05-08T22:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1564012"},"modified":"2023-05-08T18:04:21","modified_gmt":"2023-05-08T22:04:21","slug":"denny-hamlin-winning-move-infuriated-fans-hes-ok-with-that","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/denny-hamlin-winning-move-infuriated-fans-hes-ok-with-that\/","title":{"rendered":"Denny Hamlin\u2019s Winning Move Infuriated Fans and He\u2019s OK With That"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Denny Hamlin<\/a> fans tend to be in short supply on Sundays. So, a bunch of folks probably returned home from Kansas Speedway and reported to loved ones that the 1-on-1 duel with Kyle Larson<\/a> ended with the driver of the No. 11 Toyota finishing next to last.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The booing afterward all but said seeing Hamlin score his 49th<\/sup> career win was just too much to take. Guess what? Hamlin is OK with that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“They asked me in the media center, \u2018What do you what do you take from that?\u2019 \u00a0I'm like, I take from that that Kyle Larson is more popular than I am, and they wanted to see him win over me,\u201d Hamlin said, laughing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Denny Hamlin vs. Kyle Larson was great racing<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"NASCAR
NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin during an appearance with PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy on May 2, 2023 in Charlotte, North Carolina. | Ben Jared\/PGA Tour via Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Once Denny Hamlin passed William Byron on Lap 241 of the scheduled 267 in the AdventHealth 400<\/a>, putting him in second place and 1.3 seconds behind Kyle Larson, it was strictly a two-car race. It came down to negotiating lapped traffic, which benefitted Larson, and then wondering if there was enough left on the No. 5 Chevy\u2019s tires to complete the job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the end, Larson couldn\u2019t maintain the gap. Hamlin was on his tail with the white flag out, and then he tapped the left rear of the leader, putting Larson into the wall and sending Hamlin on to victory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hamlin and Larson both have their detractors. But there are some fans out there who do like Larson, so the booing from the stands as Hamlin did his on-track interview was impossible to miss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, it would be unfair to Hamlin not to acknowledge just how loose Larson\u2019s car was in the final laps. In fact, Larson grazed the wall without any help from the No. 11 just moments earlier coming out of the turn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Denny Hamlin was happy Kyle Larson finished the race<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Close racing that led to contact. pic.twitter.com\/zVtdaDQ4Av<\/a><\/p>— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 7, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>