Denny Hamlin’s assertive last-lap maneuver at Kansas Speedway on September 29, which prevented Bubba Wallace from securing a victory, has significantly impacted Wallace’s 2025 NASCAR Cup Series playoff journey. The incident left Wallace, driver for 23XI Racing, facing an uphill battle entering the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL elimination round, where he was 26 points below the cutoff and ultimately unable to advance further.
Hoping to lock in a place in the Round of 8, Wallace needed a win at Charlotte, but a 15th-place finish meant his playoff hopes came to an end. Hamlin, who co-owns Wallace’s car with NBA legend Michael Jordan but races for Joe Gibbs Racing, played a pivotal role in the high-stakes closing moments at Kansas. The Denny Hamlin Kansas Speedway NASCAR scenario has now become a focal point in this dramatic playoff outcome.
Wallace Faces Challenges in the Playoff Elimination Race
The events at Kansas had lasting consequences for Bubba Wallace as he attempted to recover at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s ROVAL, a road course historically considered his weakness. Entering this critical race 26 points behind, Wallace found himself in a near-impossible situation, needing not only to outperform competitors but also likely to win outright to overcome the deficit.
Ultimately, Wallace finished 15th at the ROVAL. This result was insufficient to bridge the point gap, leading to the elimination of his championship run for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series. Despite his efforts, the window of opportunity closed, cementing the outcome set in motion by the Kansas Speedway finish.
As playoff teams fought fiercely for advancement, Wallace’s result speaks to the razor-thin margins in NASCAR and how a single race can define a competitor’s season.
Tense Exchange Eases Wallace and Hamlin’s Kansas Fallout
Prior to the ROVAL elimination race, Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin engaged in a difficult conversation aimed at addressing the tension following their Kansas Speedway conflict. Taking place on Saturday at Charlotte, the discussion marked the first meaningful dialogue between the two since the incident, providing a platform to air grievances and find understanding despite initial awkwardness.
“It was a good, heart-to-heart conversation,”
Wallace said at the ROVAL. “It came from a place of peace. And 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.’” — Bubba Wallace, Driver
Wallace clarified that his frustration was not about being crowded into the wall during the final corner. Instead, he expressed respect for the hard racing between two competitors vying for the win, emphasizing his understanding of the stakes involved.
“That was two competitors going for a win. And so as much so as it didn’t work out, I have to respect that.”
— Bubba Wallace, Driver
What distressed Wallace most was that Chase Elliott, who drives a Chevrolet, overtook both Toyotas—his own and Hamlin’s—to seize the win in the decisive moments. This outcome not only impacted Wallace personally but also had broader implications for both Toyota teams in the playoffs.
Wallace Disappointed by Loss of a Toyota Victory at Kansas
The scenario at Kansas was particularly frustrating for Wallace because it involved a missed opportunity for Toyota, as several of their cars were positioned to win in the final restart, only to see another manufacturer claim the victory. His disappointment extended to the Toyota representatives, whom he contacted to apologize for the outcome.
“My biggest thing was Toyota didn’t win,”
Wallace said. “And before I left my motorhome after the race, I texted the Toyota reps apologizing that we didn’t win. We had five (Toyotas) in the top five to take the green flag on the last restart. And none of us won.”
He further explained his feelings to fellow playoff contender Chase Elliott.
“I just told Chase, ‘We alley oop’d that for him.’ He appreciated it. It was all of the people that got affected. That is where my frustration came from.”
— Bubba Wallace, Driver
This “alley-oop” reference highlights the sense of lost opportunity and disappointment that Wallace felt on behalf of his manufacturer and colleagues.
Dissatisfaction With Denny Hamlin’s Post-Race Handling of the Incident
Wallace’s unease after Kansas was compounded by how Denny Hamlin addressed the situation in the days following the race. Hamlin, on his podcast “Actions Detrimental,” discussed the final lap from the perspective of a driver, not as a team owner, an approach that Wallace found lacking given the complex relationships involved.
“Sunday was about Denny the driver, not Denny the owner. 🤷♂️
This week’s Actions Detrimental is out now! 🔥Spotify: https://t.co/UJPOecjbCKApple: https://t.co/vAybg7bs3jYouTube: https://t.co/LuFQYitFkc pic.twitter.com/crsPIAy6yt
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) September 29, 2025”
Wallace believed the lack of direct communication allowed frustration to build. He wished issues had been addressed immediately rather than festering throughout the week.
“It was just the way it was kind of handled behind the scenes. It just kept going, kept adding fuel to the fire,”
Wallace said. “And I hate that it got to that point. And I expressed my displeasure to Denny (on Saturday), 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.” — Bubba Wallace, Driver
The psychological toll was evident, as Wallace described the challenge of remaining focused amid ongoing uncertainty and internal team turmoil.
“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. … I had a dark cloud over my mind all week long, man. It’s not fair to my team. I expressed that. He respected that. And, frankly, the conversation allows him to see things from a different perspective. Denny usually doesn’t do that. But it allowed him to have that opportunity.”
— Bubba Wallace, Driver
Wallace’s words underscored his belief that drivers require clear minds and settled issues to perform their best in high-pressure playoff scenarios.
Kansas Was the Crucial Moment for Bubba Wallace’s Playoff Hopes
With his strongest opportunity to advance lying at Kansas, Wallace recognized that his campaign hinged on the outcome of that race. After the ROVAL, when asked about his performance, Wallace succinctly responded that what his car lacked on Sunday was, “last week.” This brief statement highlighted his belief that the Kansas incident, more than any technical shortcomings, was decisive in derailing his championship ambitions.
Hamlin’s maneuver at Kansas, the dynamic between driver and team owner, and the subsequent fallout underscore both the competitiveness of the NASCAR Cup Series and the challenges facing those with overlapping interests and relationships. For Wallace, the 2025 playoffs now stand as a lesson in both on-track aggression and off-track communication, with his elimination serving as a stark reminder of just how quickly fortunes can turn in motorsports. The episode will likely shape strategies and relationships within 23XI Racing and the broader NASCAR field as the series heads into its next stage.
WHAT A FINISH. CHASE ELLIOTT GETS BY BUBBA WALLACE AND DENNY HAMLIN TO WIN AT KANSAS! pic.twitter.com/QkSw4rSWt2
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) September 28, 2025
Sunday was about Denny the driver, not Denny the owner. 🤷♂️
This week's Actions Detrimental is out now! 🔥
Spotify: https://t.co/UJPOecjbCK
Apple: https://t.co/vAybg7bs3j
YouTube: https://t.co/LuFQYitFkc pic.twitter.com/crsPIAy6yt— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) September 29, 2025
