As the NASCAR Cup Series prepares for the race at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL, Bubba Wallace candidly addressed the recent tension with competitor and co-owner Denny Hamlin, sharing details about their private discussion and the atmosphere within the 23XI Racing team. The build-up to the Charlotte ROVAL event has placed Bubba Wallace and his competitive drive at the forefront, as he speaks openly about professional challenges, team dynamics, and what’s at stake in the playoffs.
Wallace Recounts Emotional Conversation With Denny Hamlin
Bubba Wallace, preparing for one of the season’s pivotal races in his No. 23 Leidos Toyota Camry for 23XI Racing, met with the media before practice, reflecting on a week filled with raw emotions and team discussions following an intense on-track incident with Denny Hamlin. The episode sparked significant conversation both inside and outside the garage due to the high stakes and prominent roles of both drivers. Wallace described the weight of the past week, pointing to the lingering effects of the competition, tension, and the need for resolution ahead of critical laps at Charlotte’s road course.
“Look it was definitely a somber week for sure, and I hate that it got to this point – the lingering effect, but Denny (Hamlin) and I just talked 30 minutes ago. It was a good, heart-to-heart conversation. It came from a place of peace. It went better than I thought it would. He shared his side of things, and I shared mine and we had common ground. I told him – and it was kind of funny – I kind of sent him on a detour when I said, you can go first, and then five seconds in I said, just so you know, I’m not mad about getting fenced going for the win – and his eyes were like, and he was like I need a second to reposition where I’m going to go. Just so we are all clear on that – that is not going to be the last time where I’m battling for a win and it doesn’t go our way in some fashion, whether that is Denny or anybody in the field. I’ll be a little gracious here and say 95 percent of the people on this side of the catchfence look at that move as, oof, that’s it. The other five percent, whether they are buddies or they don’t care, and they see the other side of it. I don’t fault Denny Hamlin for racing for a win, racing for his team, and his sponsors. I get the question a lot – what is it like racing Denny, on the race track, no offense to him, but I could give two shits because he is a competitor, and he has labeled it that way. That was two competitors going for a win, and so as much so as it didn’t work out, I have to respect that. I think Dale (Earnhardt, Jr.) said it – I have every right to be pissed off about it. My biggest thing was Toyota didn’t win, and before I left my motorhome after the race, I texted the Toyota reps apologizing that we didn’t win. We had five in the top-five to take the green flag on the last restart, and none of us won. I just told Chase (Elliott) – we alley oop’d that for him, he appreciated it. It was all of the people that got effected – that is where my frustration came from, because I felt like I was stepping up for them, so while the conversation went really well – the pain is still there a little bit, but it definitely eased it. So I definitely appreciate Denny’s comments, never want him to back down in any scenario, but I didn’t get the chance to see the rest of the corner, and so yeah, that sucks.”
– Bubba Wallace, Driver
Playoff Pressure and Professional Priorities for Wallace
With the playoffs in full swing, Wallace faces dual frustrations: missing the win at the previous race and the potential impact on his title run. The outcome at Kansas, where he and other Toyota drivers were in position to win but ultimately did not, intensified the scrutiny. He was direct about the complexities faced by drivers who are also team owners, referencing Denny Hamlin’s unique position and the competing motivations during critical moments on the track.
“Both. I don’t expect – I’m not an owner and a driver. I don’t know what the thought process is. It is easy to sit there and Monday quarterback it, or in this case Saturday quarterback it. I’m sure it’s a difficult thing to juggle. It’s really good if I get 60 wins, and it is really good that I advance myself in the Playoffs, but man, it’s also really good if the car I own gets locked into the next round. There is a lot of money on the line – there is a lot of layers to all of that. You don’t think about that – I would assume – in the moment. Win and you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. That is what we’ve always done since we were kids – figure it out, and you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do to win races. Some are more respectful than others, and you’ve just got to deal with it. You’ve got to respect that and accept it and move on.”
– Bubba Wallace, Driver
Team Morale as the Season Intensifies
Asked about the energy inside 23XI Racing, Wallace explained that the group remains focused on immediate goals, refusing to look too far ahead despite the swirling drama. Instead, the atmosphere is shaped by the pressing need to perform each weekend, especially with the playoffs narrowing and against the backdrop of high-profile confrontations.
“I would say none of us have – and this can be, I don’t want to say naive to the fact – but we don’t go there and talk about December 1st. It is our jobs; it is our livelihoods to give it everything we’ve got for the race that is ahead of us. That sounds like a very cliché answer, but I could care less. I’ve got five races left to go out and fight for a championship, and I set that tone from the beginning of the year. We’ve got to work out tails off to make it count each and every week. With everything going on in the background, I’ve encouraged my guys to stay focused on that – so I can’t answer your question and give you any insight to that, nor would if it was the case, but I genuinely don’t feel that. Now if Sunday was December 1st – mood was pretty down, and I hate that for my team, but it is a new weekend. Fresh opportunity in front of us. It is time to go focus on that.”
– Bubba Wallace, Driver
Wallace Explains Focus Amid Legal Distractions
With ongoing discussions in the NASCAR community about legal disputes affecting certain teams, Wallace made clear that these off-track developments do not influence his mindset or preparation for race day. He stressed a personal commitment to control what he can as pressures mount nearing the season’s conclusion.
“I don’t. I focus on the things that I can control and let everything else sit on the background. Didn’t even know anything went on last night, so that just shows you, I guess, how out of tune I am, but focused, for me, on the more important things.”
– Bubba Wallace, Driver
Wider Team Frustration and Insights on Racing Etiquette
The topic of disappointment over Toyota’s collective performance was central to Wallace’s remarks. He highlighted subtle differences in on-track maneuvers, referencing memorable incidents involving Christopher Bell and Kyle Larson, and provided his perspective on what drivers intend and how quickly things can escalate in the heat of competition. For Wallace, the emotional burden often lies with the ripple effect on teammates and the broader Toyota contingent.
“You turn left, and you go from the bottom. Simple as that. A lot of people want to relate that move to my move to CBell (Christopher Bell). CBell got to see the other side of the corner, and I was on the bottom to start the corner and drifted up. That was the thing. I texted CBell before I left the bus. I said, man, my full intentions were to use the air. That is still one thing that we can go back to when (Kyle) Larson fenced me at Vegas. We all know that moment. He didn’t touch me – I don’t think, it was more so his air put me in the fence. There is a fine line, obviously, of just forcing someone to lift, but also putting someone in the fence. I texted CBell after the race and said my full intentions were to make you lift, not put you in the fence, and I apologized for that. He took it, I guess, as best as he could, but I reached out immediately because I saw the replay after the fact, and was like damn, I did not want that, but I allowed him – I don’t know how long it takes you to get from turn three to turn four, a couple of seconds, I allowed him to see that. Just the way it was handled after the fact was a frustration too.”
– Bubba Wallace, Driver
Growth, Mindset Shifts, and Embracing the Moment
Wallace also reflected on his personal evolution as a driver, emphasizing the lasting psychological strain that comes with fighting for results and job security. He credited recent experiences with helping him to let go of persistent anxieties and rediscover enjoyment in racing, describing a culture shift within his team driven by authenticity and determination. His words suggest a maturing approach as the pressure of the Charlotte ROVAL and remainder of the NASCAR Cup Series closes in.
“I’ve joked around since Indy that I don’t care, and for the longest time I was always racing for job security, no matter how long you are signed, I go back to COTA, when I crashed out, third race of the season, I said I needed to be replaced because I was always just chasing the results and wasn’t living up to expectations for self, and I’m sure the expectations for the team. I was just kind of being a realistic, pessimistic – like I’m not doing the job right, but Indy allowed me to enjoy that job that I did, and also replay that – you didn’t care in that moment. You raced because you loved it. I think that has been the biggest shift. Everyone just supporting that and showing up and having fun. It has been fun being on the race track. Everybody has told me that the start of Kansas last Sunday – they like to say I give up, I never give up, so that is BS when you hear that, but the outcome would have been different. Bubba Wallace wouldn’t be fighting for the win a year ago if his Kansas race started out like that. I think it is just legit, letting the little stuff go and allowing yourself as chance to breathe and looking at things differently. That has produced a lot of the results.”
– Bubba Wallace, Driver
Hamlin’s Response and Ongoing Friction
The situation between Denny Hamlin and Wallace extended beyond the initial contact, as follow-up remarks and social media activity escalated public scrutiny. Wallace acknowledged that the aftermath, including Hamlin’s declaration that he would not apologize, further affected team morale. He described openly the burden felt over the past week and his determination to move forward, even as the emotional impact remains fresh on the eve of a decisive race.
“Yeah, you kind of hit it right there on the head. It was just the way it was kind of handled behind the scenes just kept going, kept adding fuel to the fire and I hate that it got to that point, and I expressed my displeasure to Denny (Hamlin) today, and he totally respected that. I’m a guy that we have confrontation, and it is not settled – like it is lingering, and now I’m in this spot where I’m 25, 26 points out. I expressed to him, that what you need from your driver is to be at 110 percent focused on what to do, how to execute, and how to go out there and beat SVG (Shane van Gisbergen) – I had a dark cloud over my mind all week long, man, it’s not fair to my team. I expressed that, he told respected that, and frankly the conversation allows him to see things from a different perspective. Denny usually doesn’t do that but allowed him to have that opportunity. As much as I wanted to come in here and MF the guy, the competitor Denny, the conversation went better than expected and you feel lighter on your feet. There is a transition period that you have to go through, and it sucks that it is happening on Saturday.”
– Bubba Wallace, Driver
Looking Ahead: The Stakes at Charlotte ROVAL
As Bubba Wallace puts the recent friction with Denny Hamlin behind him, the focus for 23XI Racing and its driver is on capitalizing at the Charlotte ROVAL, where playoff fates will be decided and reputations put to another test. Wallace’s candidness about the emotional toll and the need for unity reflects broader pressures in the NASCAR Cup Series, especially as drivers like Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Chase Elliott, and Joey Logano also eye critical playoff points. The coming race is likely to further define not just championship trajectories, but also future relationships within the fiercely competitive NASCAR garage.
Wallace’s remarks make clear the multidimensional pressures facing a modern NASCAR contender, balancing sponsor responsibilities, team expectations, and personal ambitions as he navigates pivotal moments in the playoffs. The result at the Charlotte ROVAL could have significant consequences for Bubba Wallace, 23XI Racing, and the landscape of the remainder of the season.
