Denny Hamlin responded to fans booing him at Bristol by sarcastically claiming that he beat all of their favorite drivers.
The lineup for the next round of Cup Series playoffs is set after Bristol. Defending champion Joey Logano was eliminated along with Kevin Harvick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Michael McDowell.
For Hamlin, it was his third win of the season, putting him in third place behind William Byron and Martin Truex Jr. Despite his win, many fans were not happy with Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 11 and booed him after the race.
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In response, Hamlin sarcastically stated: “Hey. I beat your favorite driver … all of them.”
"Hey. I beat your favorite driver… all of them."@dennyhamlin responds to the crowd after winning at @ItsBristolBaby. #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/ybw6AaYeoU
— NASCAR on NBC (@NASCARonNBC) September 17, 2023
Hamlin already had a car capable of winning the first two races of the playoffs. However, he could only finish as a runner-up in the last race at Kansas.
“Man, everybody likes a winner, right?” Hamlin said. “Can’t thank this whole team enough. They’ve really kicked (butt) this whole first round. Really amazing how our team has been. So happy about the way we’re running. Can’t wait to keep going.
“It’s our year. I just feel like we’ve got it all put together. We’ve got the speed every single type of race track. Nothing to stop us at this point.”
Having never won the Cup championship, Hamlin will be hoping that this year will turn out to be different. Given the way he as been in the first three races of the playoffs, he looks like a genuine contender for the title.