NASCAR veteran Dale Earnhardt Jr. didn’t hold back after Denny Hamlin’s latest complaints about Ross Chastain’s aggressive driving. Hamlin had accused the Trackhouse Racing driver of being aggressive during Sunday’s Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, reigniting a feud that’s simmered over multiple seasons.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Defends Ross Chastain’s Right To Race
Hamlin and Chastain rarely see eye-to-eye, sharing a rough relationship on and off the track. After Sunday’s race, Hamlin criticized Chastain for using a blocking move on him and called the Trackhouse driver’s racing out.
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Hamlin also argued that if things had been the other way around, Chastain probably would have crashed into the back of his car, something that Hamlin did not do in this case. He explained, “But I believe the roles reversed, he would have, he would probably just run into me. I would think he would run into me as he should and say, ‘I didn’t make you swerve. I was running my lane with the pack of cars that was on the race track. You tried to merge up into a lane that wasn’t there. So, I just think it’s bulls**t racing.’”
Earnhardt, a NASCAR Hall of Famer and longtime analyst, voiced his thoughts during Wednesday’s episode of his podcast, responding to Hamlin’s criticism of Chastain after the Talladega race.
Earnhardt said, “What Chastain did was absolutely reckless as hell, but he has the obligation or the right to make that move, and if it wrecks the field, he’s the f****** a****** and everybody will be disappointed and upset with him. But he has that obligation, prerogative to make that move, and there should be no conversation of a penalty. If he wants to drive that way or anybody wants to drive that way, right, he’ll suffer the consequences of public opinion and his reputation, if it were to create a problem.”
“All right, how do I say this? Do I like what he did? No,” Earnhardt added. “If I’m in Denny’s car I’m pissed. But I’m not a racer I’m not driving no more. I’m just watching. Do I want a couple of guys out there that are that f****** crazy? Yes.”
The Hall of Famer then spoke about how races can get boring if there are no drivers who take risks:
“I mean, if they’re not out there, then what are we doing right? We’re just gonna watch them run around two by two for the whole damn race. We need somebody, we need a couple of guys out there like a Hocevar and so forth that are willing to you know be a little risky.”
