Is contact for the lead in the final laps of Daytona the new norm?

Denny Hamlin comments on contact for the win at Superspeedways; Incident with Bubba Wallace

In the final lap of the Daytona 500, Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace made contact. While racing for the lead down the back straight, the #10 was turned into the outside wall.

Austin Dillon went on to take the checkered flag and win the 60th running of the Daytona 500. But, is contact of some form just the new norm for superspeedway racing?

“I don’t know when the last time a superspeedway race has been won by getting into another competitor,” Denny Hamlin responded from the media center after his 3rd place finish in the event.

“But, with this aero package, as big as the holes are getting punched in the air. It’s certainly almost inevitable that they’ll be some kind of contact for the lead, late in the race.”

“Some could argue that’s a good thing, some a bad thing. It just depends on what end you are. If you’re in the stands, you probably love it.”

“It’s exciting but also strategic. It also took out a lot of really good cars today. But, we’re the one’s driving it. They’re not making us make the mistakes that we’re making.”

“I think that’s ok. I wouldn’t panic and change anything.”

“I really didn’t get a good enough view of the final wreck with the #10 and the #3 to really comment on who’s fault, if any. It could be just a racing thing.”

“Started really great, ended really great, bad finish,” Denny Hamlin sums up his 2018 Daytona 500 run.

Denny Hamlin and Bubba Wallace

Coming to the line, Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin made contact. Bubba Wallace felt he was put into the wall intentionally as they crossed the line with sparks, finishing 2nd and 3rd.

After the race Bubba Wallace said, “I want to see the replay before I say something stupid. But, he might need to take some Adderall for that one.”

After the race. Denny Hamlin was asked if he had a response to that statement.

“He blew my right front tire out when he came down and side drafted me,” Hamlin comments from the Daytona Media Center.

“I didn’t have any control of my car. Because when he came down there, I was just on the yellow line. Nothing I could have done.”

“It blew my right front tire out with his fender.

More

Related: Bubba Wallace comments on Denny Hamlin

Related: Austin Dillon explains the move to win the 2018 Daytona 500

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Denny HamlinDaytona | NASCAR

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