Denny Hamlin, the driver of the No. 11 Toyota Camry TRD for Joe Gibbs Racing, admitted he gave Joey Logano the bird after the two had a run in on pit road during the Daytona 500.
Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Todd Gilliland, and Eric Jones exit pit road during the Daytona 500 via NASCAR YouTube
Following the conclusion of Stage 1, most of the field took to pit road to get fresh tires and fill up on gasoline. As the drivers were exiting the pit road, Hamlin exited his pit stall slightly ahead of Logano, who continued down pit road on the outside of Hamlin’s door.
Todd Gilliland would exit his stall and put Hamlin and Logano three-wide. To avoid Gilliland, Hamlin pushed Logano slightly on to the grass. Logano then brought his car back on to the pit road as Hamlin made room for him. But that space would quickly be filled as Eric Jones exited his stall and made it four-wide.
Hamlin again drifted to the outside of the pit lane, making contact with Logano. Logano being shoved outside didn’t take kindly to it, and quickly tucked in behind Hamlin and roughed him up a little bit.
RELATED: Kyle Larson Says Hard Crash During Daytona 500 “One Of The Bigger Ones I’ve Ever Had”
Following this altercation, Hamlin was shown sticking his hand out the window appearing to give Logano the bird albeit it was unclear what gesture he was actually making.
Meanwhile, Logano was shown throwing his hand up in their in a questioning manner.
Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin signal at each other during the Daytona 500 via NASCAR YouTube
Hamlin recounted the incident during an appearance on the Actions Detrimental show, part of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Dirty Mo Media, and he admitted he gave Logano the bird.
Hamlin explained, “At the end of the first stage it wasn’t a little tame because me and Joey had a little thing on pit road. So it’s my job, right, to make sure that, you know, I try to keep my wheels straight, go down pit road, and make sure I’m aware — and the spotter always makes you aware when someone’s on the inside or the outside of you.”
“Well, I come off of — I accelerate, I get to pit road speed and I’m on the outside of — I pull out of the pit stall and I’m halfway down and I’m on the outside of someone, I think it might have been Gilliland, it was another Ford,” he relayed. “But then Joey, he always picks the very end on pit road at Daytona because he likes to come in hot, get to his stall, then get down to business, and accelerate.”
Denny Hamlin via Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Dirty Mo Media YouTube
RELATED: Kyle Busch Shuts Down Reporters When They Ask Him Why He Conceal Carries
“Well, he was just barely on my right rear corner. I’m being respectful, know he’s there. Clearly, he knows I’m no dumba**. I know he’s there. So I’m giving him room, but then somebody comes out, leaves their pit stall, and squeezes Gilliland,” Hamlin explained. “Gilliland pushes me up and I’m literally grinding the side of my car against Gilliland because I know Joey is on the outside of me so I’m trying to be a nice guy and not run him completely into the grass.”
He continued, “But I guess he — I got nearly run in the grass so he probably dipped a tire in the grass. And he came off pit road and he gave me the bumper and was shoving me. And I was like, ‘F*** you, pal. How do you not know that we’re four-wide here?'”
Denny Hamlin via Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Dirty Mo Media YouTube
“Ten seconds later he pulled up beside me and gave me the old hand wave like, ‘Okay, I got it. I know. They told.’ That’s the sign of like, ‘Okay, they told me what happened. We’re good.’ And so we’re good,” Hamlin stated.
However, after just admitting to giving Logano the bird, when questioned if he flipped him off, Hamlin downplayed it saying, “Well, I was just pointing to the cars below me. I pointed to those cars that it’s their fault, not mine. But it was good.”
Denny Hamlin via Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s Dirty Mo Media YouTube
This isn’t the first time Logano and Hamlin have run into each other. Infamously, the two came to blows at Martinsville back in 2019 and it resulted in Hamlin ending up on his butt after receiving a shove from Logano.
The two also wrecked each other racing for the lead on the last lap at California back in 2013. Kyle Busch ended up winning the race.
What do you make of Hamlin admitting to giving Logano the bird?