Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin - Was Denny Hamlin “A11 In” at Chicagoland?

Episode Date: July 6, 2026

On this episode of Actions Detrimental, Denny Hamlin looks back on a weekend that had speed, frustration, and a few moments that slipped away late. He talks through how the race got away in the third stage, what changed on restarts, and how track position and timing ended up shaping the final result more than anything else. Denny breaks down the key battles upfront, how pit cycles played out, and why things flipped once the sun went down. He gets into the late-race push where they were close but not quite close enough, and what ultimately made the difference in a tight NASCAR Cup Series finish. He also reacts to the big talking points from the weekend, including the SVG vs Austin Hill incident and the ongoing debate around intentional wrecks, self-policing, and NASCAR penalties. Plus, thoughts on the Chicago race weekend, Chicagoland vs street course discussion, fan experience, and standout performances across the NASCAR Cup Series and O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

What SVG said, though, I would be more pissed about if I'm Austin. SVG is low-key, really funny. He just grunts. Our vocabulary was to say, we would say, oh, I'll try to talk to him, but he just mumbles. But the way SVG words is, he just grunts. The following is a production of Dirtymo Media. I believe that I've been in a competitive for 20 years. opinions from tonight's podcast

strictly biased you're going to hear from my point of view I'm a fighter no you are not the spoils of victory for Jared Allen he's got better luck the drink and drink to win I know you do

two trophies missing from your collection championship and the most popular driver someone told me that their drinking game is when I say for sure yeah and I've already said hey guys welcome to actions detrimental after Chicago land Race 19 of the regular season.

I know they don't want us to call it the regular season, but it is. What would you call it? Well, it's not playoffs anymore, so it's not regular season. But do they not reward a regular season championship? I'm just saying like PR, I don't know that they want us to call it regular season, but I think everyone still does. Yeah. Well, before we start, I finally have Travis's gift.

Yes. Oh, the Denny Brose necklace. The chain. Chain. I know you're not on camera, Travis, but do you want to, do you want to don it for the episode? I'll wear it. Sick. This was given to us by a fan at a Bob's discount furniture, by the way. Autograph signing. Looks good on you. A little more that way. You're not that way. There you go. Travis, where are we at with getting the sticker on your car. Well, I asked Jared and I never got a response about. Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, no, no, no, no. I said, that's not what happened.

I said, Win and Wear Friday. I don't think you said that. I think he did. You asked me if I was available. I said yes. What else do y'all need then? Right here on 1259 on, I believe, Thursday. Jared.

Is that where tomorrow? PM. PM. You did say when and where to me. tomorrow. I didn't see that. All right. Y'all need to work this out. That was in the middle of a bunch of SIM texts. Anyway. Denny's driveway. Though are we, though, are, I mean, we need, we need the sticker from, from Charlie. Charlie, I don't, I don't, you don't have it, right? No, I don't have it. I don't have it. So I got to get that from him. Though are we, so I will pay it off, but are we worried

that, like, putting it on my car could give the bad luck that Ed has brought the 45? Hmm. It's been, it's been, it's been. Good. Maybe we just leave it. Maybe we just suspend the suspension. We just push it down the road. Okay. All right.

Okay. So we need to like reverse some huge or anything. Those you all don't know what's going on. What was it? You said if we won three in a row, you would put it to any bro's sticker, like a name sticker on your car. Yeah.

Okay. Well, uh, it can't. I can't win them all, I guess, although I thought I was. I just, I just think that I had a role in us not winning. You think? Yeah.

Just not my best, not my best work. It wasn't lack of focus or anything like that. It's just, just too nonchalant, right? And if you, if you let someone just stay close. in the game stay close stay close then you end up getting beat and and we definitely got beat how are you at what point in the race you know i'm i'm not saying stay close like on the racetrack i'm saying you know what i mean you sports people know what i mean you let someone stay close enough and then they get you in the end uh at what point in the race did did you lose that focus

I said I didn't lose focus. I just I didn't have a sense of urgency until the third stage. Yeah. And so, you know, we had some not great restarts

where I was like, okay, don't worry about me going three wide. I'm just going to go ahead and push here. Like we're normally, I would just take the run, go three wide. Right.

There was that restart where you were like, just tell the 23, I'm going to push him. And then you lost three, four spots. And then I did the same thing. with a 24. Like I had a run on him and I'm like, no, I just push him. It's fine. So I just think why? I felt that strongly about our car after 20 laps or so. I don't know. I really don't know.

And you know, you got to give credit also to the guys that I was racing with. They made their cars better. No question about it. And the first stage, I thought that we had a lot of room to gain on our car still, still was very fast. But I don't know. I just thought that it would be easier to go up there and get the lead when I really push and get the lead, need to get the lead. So it just took all that for granted. So yeah, that's not, not great for sure. And then in the third stage, it, you know, that was, that was me pushing it. And we didn't have a winning car the first run of the third stage. We were about third or so. We kept, it seemed like the 24 and the 19 had really good short run speed and they would fall off really, really hard. And after that, it,

it seemed like me and the 20 would then start to drive to the front. Well, we were both battling the cars so much, me and the 20 that we just, we kept, we kept battling each other, you know, trying to be the next, you know, good guy to go challenge the leaders. And then all through that sequence on that run, we ended up, I'm not sure how many seconds we were back, probably about three, maybe a little less. Maybe a little less. At one point.

We were running in a, before the last pit stop, before the last Greenfly pit stop. I thought maybe it was like two. Wasn't two. Two and a half, three, no. Three to three to four. Whoa, four? Maybe not four.

I thought we closed the gap quite a bit at the end of that run. And then we needed an adjustment. We ended up losing 1.9 seconds on that cycle. That's just, you know, pit stop. That's ins and outs and all the stuff, one point not. And on top of that, we stayed out and ran four extra laps or something like that. And that's another one, two, three, you know, four seconds, five seconds. So, you know, the task was, okay, nine seconds back, can you can you drive all,

can you get all the way back with 40 laps to go? or 30 something laps to go. Just, I don't know. I didn't think it was going to be enough time, but we did gain. We got within those two and a half seconds. And I'm like, it was eight to go. Yeah.

And I got to two and a half seconds and I'm sitting there and I'm like trying to figure out, can I, am I going to get there running, continuing to run the pace I'm running? And I thought it was going to be really close. I thought I was going to get there right at the white. but it's interesting. I thought I was definitely going to get to the 21st,

and he got there with a couple laps to go. So who knows, I think passing would have been tough, given my balance. But we almost got there. Just I pushed it. I tried to say, all right, well, I need another 10th per lap. So let me go all up to the wall and turns one or two. Little did I know, nobody was up there. And so there was nothing but dust.

And so as soon as I got there. off into the wall went. So I was very, I was so nervous getting off of that wall because I'm thinking, please don't have a broke toe link. Please, you know, it just, it really, that scared me. And then turns out it actually made my car better. Like the last few laps, I was able to rip pretty good. You closed it back down. Yeah, we then repass Byron. And yeah, we closed it back down to three seconds. And so we were with eight to go, we were after hitting the wall five and a half, five point two, something like that. Closed it back down to three and a half, which is at the checkered. So, yeah, it's just it bent the right rear toe link more than likely out.

And so it actually freed up my balance pretty nicely those last few laps. But it didn't matter. I already made the mistake of hitting the wall. Do you feel like you gave one away yesterday? Well, you got to give credit to the 19 and 20. they were formidable and very fast, especially in the short run. They had great speed and the 20 had good long run speed. So he had a decent mix of both.

54 had good short run speed. So it was, no, I don't think so. I think that I think it was a very winnable race, but it wasn't one that, you know, was given to anyone. Yeah, it feels like just throughout the day, whether it was untimely cautions because you were a long run car or restart that it was it was just always two steps back one step forward two steps back yeah step forward and you never were able to get back on the front foot even that uh i don't know the last caution flag cycle where you pitted and then reddick blew up right then you probably are going to take the lead if that stays

yeah but now you got to restart fourth behind your competition right and you never get you never got the front row after you lost it. Yeah. Yeah. And a lot of that, it's just no sense of urgency for me. And so that's where that just sometimes you're too patient and I just, I'll let that race just get too deep into the race to really say, okay, I got a, I need to push here. Yeah, that's why once you were behind your three teammates, it was like, oh, man, this is going to be tough to overcome because they're, yep, significantly better now. It's the third stage. Yep. They're not that much worse than you. Exactly right. Worse at all.

You're normally, you know, you've said you're the most competitive person. Is this a lesson learned that you'd rather have now than in the chase about your demeanor in a race? Yes. Yes. You know, generally speaking, I'm always just trying to figure out with X amount of time left on the clock and in NASCAR how many labs are to go. Where's my track position and can I win from here? And I thought in my head in the third stage, I'm third or fourth, to start the third stage, no problem. And that's just taken way too for granted that, you know,

you're going to have the gap. And I'm basing it off of the first stage where it was like, you know, my gap of speed to the next best was just, you know, I thought significant, especially at the end of the first run. so you know everyone they're just they're going to work on the cars they're going to get better and then it turned to night night changed everything that really sucked the field close together um in speed and so in the daytime i still think we're fine everything's fine but yeah i even said it on the radio um but i just think in the day in that nighttime you are the field tightness

up. It always does. And just lots of things came together there that I just didn't foresee. Did you perceive anyone to be your competition? Like at any point in the race, you're like, okay, I'm racing this guy for the win. Well, I thought so it was interesting with Larson because even when he was in the lead, to me, it didn't look strong. Like, it looked like he was hanging on the whole time. You know, he couldn't pull away, and I could see his balance. I was like, wow, you know, he's really, he's making up for a lot here. And then when I race around the 24, it was like, yeah, he's got some good short run speed,

but he really loses the balance late. But, yeah, when I was around the 19 and we were both catching, I think, at the time, William, that was when I said the, all right, And I said, if you can't get there, then let me go. Right. But he was able to get there at the end of the second stage. And so understand him not doing that. And so I thought the 19, it was apparent at that time that he was very good.

Again, he had a car that would fall off pretty big at the very tail end of a run, but then he would pit. So he was very good for most of the run. And then the 20 was, you know, I felt like as good or close to as good as what we were in the very long run. So I knew, yeah, I knew that when those guys were up front that it was going to be a tough task, which is why, you know, I tried the best I could in the third stage, but it just wasn't enough. Before we move on to our next topic, here's a trailer of Dirty Mo Media's newest show, this cowboy life. Hey, this is Jerome and Tiffany Davis. Jerome Davis home strawberry line.

Most people know me from the dirt, eight seconds at a time. So there's a lot more to laugh than the rides. We've never really stopped to tell our story. That changes June 24th. This Cowboy Life is our new podcast on Dirty Moe Media. Subscribe wherever you get your podcast and come see what this cowboy life is all about. Well, big picture here. Fortunately for you, the 45 had an unfortunate.

in a day. So you're able to make up, not make up, but add 40 plus points to this regular season championship race. Yeah. I mean, there, you know, that's, that was, so when we talk about luck and racing, sometimes it gets used over, well, it doesn't sometimes, a lot of time to get overused to a blanket statement of you having a bad day. And sometimes when you have, you know, you get caught up in a first lap wreck. Not of your doing. Sometimes that's luck, but sometimes when it happens back in 30th,

it's like, yeah, but that's where things typically happen. So this was definitely bad luck. You know, for Tyler Redick, obviously something punctured. The radiator,

all kinds of fluid was going out, and they went lapsed down. So definitely on a string of bad luck there. I don't know how good his car was. It didn't appear that it was great when I was around it. But I think we were at different tire. Well, no, there was one stage where he started right behind me and then he was behind me in the short run,

but then in the long run I didn't see him. So I thought maybe Bobo probably had the best, the best 2311 car. But who knows? I mean, great, great finish for all those guys. Six, ninth, tenth, for all those guys, certainly you would imagine the 45 would have been up in the top 10 as well.

Is that now the primary focus with a handful of races ago? Just win this regular season championship? I'd like to win one more race before we get into the playoffs. I thought Chicago land was going to be the best chance of that. What if it's Indy? Indy would be next, then Richmond, then New Hampshire, then North Worksboro, then Iowa, then Atlanta, then Daytona. Are you saying you want this win because of the standings to make you feel comfortable, or you're just saying because you just want a win? No, I just want to win.

I just, that's seven races without winning, add the two that we, now three in a row that we haven't won. So that's 10 races. That's a, that's a dry spell. The three in a row you haven't won. Were any of, were two of those on the table? Hey, they still count. Well, it's still, I mean, it's still, does that, so you say, is that effect your demeanor? No. No. Because I, I know where we're at. I feel good about where we're at, obviously. But, you know, you just, you want to win. And that's, that's always been my main goal. It's just a win as many races as I possibly can. So not winning doesn't affect momentum.

That's not a thing. Not if you can also win the regular season. You know what I mean? Right. Yeah. Yeah, because whether you win the next six races or not, you win the regular season. You're not getting any added benefit as long as you win the regular season, right?

It's that points. That's right. You're going to, the winner of the regular season will start with 2,100 points, whether he has 10 wins or, one. Yeah. Well, an action-packed day in stage one. Were you aware of any of this in the car?

Not really. Not till I got out and logged on. Which one you want to talk about first? I guess what's at the top of the sheet here, Zane Smith first, Carson Nussibar. Do we know what prompted that? This one seems a little more murkier. Like we don't have a specific.

In what kind of way? Like we don't have like, air quotes murky. Well, I'm saying because like we have San Diego and Pocono with like it's more. Yeah, it happened, you know, recently with Austin Hill and SBG. I know. That's why I'm saying, can somebody go back and look in, you know, look in time at somewhere in this race where those two were racing near each other? That's my question. there's got to be other evidence out there somewhere

or was there another race where these two guys got together I don't recall yeah I don't I don't recall either but it doesn't mean it hasn't it's also hard to keep track of the run-ins that it's just I just I find it I find it very pointed very deliberate that like if you look at it from there was a in-car camera of somebody running on the high side and those two running low. And you could see Zane drive in there very deep to get to his back bumper.

Now, I don't know, again, I don't know what prompted it, but you would think that there was something that clearly upset Zane before that moment. But buddy, Zane, if you're going to wreck somebody. Yeah, you don't want to wreck yourself for. certain. So that was certainly unfortunate. Did that just cram

loses day for him? I mean, they had damage and shit. Damage, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's not ideal. But it looks like, I don't see

him in the top 20. It must have got a host of ours day too. But all the Spire cars were bad. Yeah, none of them really had a great day. Hmm. No past setups, huh? Oh.

I digress. All right. Um, so, yeah, I, you know, I'm torn on these wrecks, right? Because do I think that it's cool that someone goes and just wipe someone out? No. But I'm also a, I am a very firm, firm fan of self-policing. And I think that that has to be a thing. thing in this for it because if you can't punch someone in the

face without getting a fine and you you know

they always keep you separated you know security's in there you got the teams

getting involved if you can't handle it off the racetrack which

I'm not really in favor of that which because there are other people

you got to let people self police on the racetrack and this is how you

self police is that you let someone know you f*** with me and you're gonna get it. You're gonna get it. And so just think about that before you f***ed with me

or you put me or you wrecked me or you run into me. So this is what NASCAR racing has been for quite some time is this self-policing sport and it just got in a weird spot over the last like five to six to seven years where then we started talking about, well, these are deliberate wrecks.

These are intentional wrecks and we have to penalize that. So like, and I, and then there's the other half of me, the other birdie that's like, yeah, that's an intentional wreck. Yeah, someone should be, you shouldn't be able to do that. That's, that's wrong. So I don't know which one I like. I don't know if I like the self-policing birdie or I like the, that's an intentional wreck. It's like a very passive, aggressive way to set. middle your beef on the racetrack.

Because you can't say like, oh, yeah, that's payback, right? No. You have to say, oh, sorry. Austin Hills people are nice people. Sorry that happened. Yes. You know? Yes.

And so I just think both these incidences are the same. I don't see how they're much different. SVGs looked far more aggressive. when he thought that Ryan Preece committed murderer to Ty Gibbs, I don't know, I mean,

this was a, what's above murder? Premeditated? Yeah. Premeditated. That's a harsher sentence. Yeah, you were planning this.

If you're not dying in the murder, you're dying in the premeditated burn. You're getting the death penalty. So, I don't know. They're one and the same, but SVGs,

looked bad. I said last week, right, that the data shows intent. The data would argue that SVG went into the corner with no intent to slow up. It's not like there was a hole there. I don't know. I think you're, if you're SVG,

you're putting yourself, you're putting NASCAR in a really, really tough position given the comps of what have happened in these situations. before. But if if this is over the line and you're going to, you know, fine or deduct points from whoever, then like, can you guys even police yourselves at all of that? No, that's, that's the negative, right? As if if you get a penalty of any sort, it's like, well, then how, how am I supposed to get this person back? How am I supposed, you know what I mean? It just gives free rein to let people do whatever they want with no repercussions. So I don't, and I don't know what Austin Hill did.

I know that they, Austin Hill got up the racetrack in Pocono and, and SVG was part of that, remember, he got up the racetrack, squeezed. He was three wide. He was driving like they were too wide, you know, crunched those guys into the wall. And so was that what SVG was, you know, getting payback for, quote unquote? I don't know. Is it because this, is it because Austin Hill caused the wreck that was in San Diego that wiped out Connor and SVG. Like, we don't know. But all we know is that data typically doesn't lie. It usually tells intent.

You know, you use your eyeballs to look at the replay. Then you use the data to look at intent. And you would draw pretty much the same conclusion no matter what. I mean, what's wrong with dumping a guy if you felt like he deserved to be dumped? Well, depends on who you're asking. I'm asking a fellow driver in the field. Yeah, I mean, that's a, it's a valid point. It's what asker racing is, right?

Because now it's like, if it is okay, right, that, you know, would be a clear wreck, then I think Austin Hill just creams his ass next chance he gets. That's what I think. happens and then SVG pays the price that way. Yeah, the problem is that at that point now, Austin Hill is also going to pay a price. Like if Austin Hill clearly retaliates next week or in the near future, then there's going to be like, okay, NASCAR's going to have to step in.

Why? Stop this. Well, that's what usually happens. That's how it used to happen is a wreck, a payback, maybe another wreck, and then they sit you down and say, we're done with this. Right. You each got your shot. You got to stop now.

Yeah. You know, so that's how it used to work. I mean, I've been, I've sat in many of those meetings where it was like, you give, you give the other team their shot. You know, that viral clip of the manager. You got to give us our shot because he took a swipe at the basement when he was stealing. And he's like, you took your shot. You had your shot right there. So I just, I don't know, you got to give these guys eye for an eye, I guess.

I guess I'm on the side that self-policing is what needs to happen. And these two fellows felt like they needed to self-police. Now, it doesn't mean that it's over. It doesn't mean that Austin Hill or Carson-Hosvar is not pissed at those two. And maybe they decide, well, I don't think the score is level. You know, and then we see what happens from there. but that's what makes this shit exciting. So I think I'm in the boat.

You've convinced me we've got to just let this go and let them work it out. And if they want to keep wrecking each other, then the teams, somebody will get involved. Hey, everybody, it's Dellenhart Jr. And there is no better way to support Denny Hamlin than wearing actions detrimental gear at the racetrack. You can also flip him the bird.

Or head on over to shop.dirtymoedia.com to see what we have. at least for your sake and the other race winners sake that they've done this now in stage one so they're not doing it with 10 to go you know it's like let's just get this out of the way 40 laps in yeah i mean conflict sells now SVG's saving grace might be he didn't say anything on the radio I'll be curious to see how NASCAR handles it because that's what really did Prece in. Yeah, that's that's dumb though, right? We all agree it's dumb, but that's like you can't,

Ryan Priest's barely and I mean barely hit to 54. If he hit the 54, it's still inconclusive to me. But he said what he said and he clearly put him in a spot where he wrecked.

So this, I mean, he turned his ass around hard. I mean, hard. What SVG said, though, I would be more pissed about if I'm Austin. SVG is low-key, really funny. I mean, really funny in the sense of he just grunts. Oh, man. I just and you know what

I don't even know what he means but it's funny it's funny I mean I get what he's I get what he's trying to say or what he is saying but like his his vocabulary right right

is really good right his vocabist right if someone from you know our vocabulary was to say oh I'll try to talk to him but he just mumbles but the way SVG words is he just grunts

because I'm watching this interview with no sound and he just, he, he, he doesn't like say it as a punchline. He just, like, says it and walks away. It's like it's a normal thing. And that's the way he talks. That's the delivery. I've talked enough for the SVG. No, that, that's, that's how casual he is with, no matter what.

So, oh, he's so funny. God, he's funny. You know who though, we'll probably be getting a fine. no matter what is Austin Hill. Yeah. Yeah. That's one where NASCAR definitely doesn't. You know, they don't screw around too much with contact under yellow and like that.

So I don't know. I mean, that's just dumb. But that's also now probably the ending of this. That's the end. Because if Austin Hill gets a $25, $50,000 fine on Tuesday, he's not going to go turn around on Sunday and dump SVL. again. He's not going to double down. I don't think.

But also depends on what the punishment is. Yeah, because you can't take points. Like, points don't matter. Right. They mattered SVG, though. And that's where I think SVG, like, if this is about Pocono, like, you can't go back and change that. Those points are lost.

You finished where you finished. You know, the weekend wasn't. great anyway. But now you've got a guy that you're clearly you race around week in, week out, like out to get you. Like, he didn't have to wreck you. You can just knock you out of the groove a few times. And like points matter to you, SVG.

So this, it's just not, in my opinion, smart to be picking this or escalating. He didn't pick the fight. He escalated the fight with Austin Hill. you're plus 30 with seven to go, I don't, I just, I think it's a bad strategy. Bad strategy. You know, it's crazy, though, is he actually lengthened his, uh, his gap, his gap to the good. That's because absolutely nobody around the cut wants to just finish 15th. They don't.

Every week. It's just, who can just stay on the wrong? race track. It's amazing. That's why I told Jennifer. Nobody wants it. Eric Jones is running the most solid. Although, man, I don't know. Austin Cendrick was in the mix

yesterday. Like when I say in the mix, like, you know, back after the top 10, he was the best Ford for a while until Blaney caught that caution, right? Yes, there was the caution that saved him. Yeah. Ligano

out to lunch somehow he finished 12 how do he finish 12th was he part of the group that caught that caution i don't know i mean i just i was watching him in practice his his car and that thing was just all over the place just out of control and slow and um they qualified bad but grinder man legano's a grinder 12th that's that's pretty amazing considering where they were to start the weekend. Yeah, I mean, he was like, what, third off the stage and driver insurers? He just started outside top 30, right? Yeah.

So we had the two racks. I mean, what else you think about just the racing itself at Chicago Lanks? I think that's what all the people. I thought the racing was good. I mean, think about this. How long was that last run? It was 70, 80 lap, something like that? And it still came down to the white flag.

of and and i wish i would have not hit the wall because it would have been three of us battling for the lead you know the comers and goers of a run but in the end it's still closed up to be a last lap battle between bell and briscoe so um i thought the racing was good uh you know the bump in turns three and four definitely makes it hard to move around at that track but you could like if you needed if you really pushed it, you could break even running the top. You know, where, so if the cart was in front of you,

you choose either to run behind him, that's the most conservative way of doing it and know that, okay, I'm going to lose a little ground this corner. Or you could, you know what, I'm going to take a risk. I'm going to go up top and then break even with them.

And then, you know, you're now closer into turn one to where the passing zone essentially is. So it was a very, it was a good race in my opinion. It came down to the end. You could move around in turns one and two. It was crazy we didn't move around more in turns three and four than what we did. The tire there was pretty good.

It unfortunately really started to fall off right as people pitted. You know, just the way the stages worked out. When you have 80-lap stages and you only force people to run, you know, the full tank of fuel would take you between 60 and 70 laps. But the stages being 80 means you only had to go 40 and 40. So the last 20 laps of that, those runs would really, really be, you want to see some comers and goers. It would, a lot would be happening.

But just to where these stages are lining up on these big tracks, we're not seeing, the fall off that we would normally that the tire actually has in it, but you just never see it because you're not forced to run the fuel tank out. Is the bump in three and four where caught Larson? Yeah, I was right behind them. That was close because I couldn't figure out, all right, what are you going to do? Are you going to spend, you're going to end up coming low or go high? And he just kind of hung in the middle trying to hang on to it.

But yeah, I watched him. and when he hit it, it just looked like his car was low, you know, obviously low, hit the bump. And it just, once it gets out of control, and if you're free at all, which he typically runs his cars free, but he just, he went in there, pitched it in. He looked like neutral on entry, hit the bump, and that just would upset the rear of the race car. And he spun out. Quite inconvenient that the majority of his damage comes from needing to drive a lap with no... Oh, when he got pulled out of the grass and I saw, you know, he was down there, right there trying to keep up with a pace car or stay in front of it to stay two laps down.

I mean, yeah, he was driving with no tires at the same pace as the face. I mean, you knew at that point it was like, oh my God, he is going to have the worst day. Like you almost at that point just want to say, I would. they would have never pulled me out of the grass because the damage he did to the underside of the car by having to drive it he had to drive it um it just does so much damage that it it just ruins your day your your car is you know half speed you know he actually i was surprised to see he was only two laps down like the fact that he was able to run he wasn't running competitive speeds but like within the ballpark given that he probably had no underside of his race car like was

pretty impressive they played the sound of it and it was just oh it just as a and as a driver you just you just know it's over it's there's nothing you can do about it it's just it's over what's the penalty if he was to just enter pit road through the exit they don't want you driving the wrong way down pit road i know but what's the penalty i don't know is it worse than tearing up the underside of your car yeah but still that distance just from the end of pit road to wherever he's pitted. I'm telling you, all the damage happens pretty soon. Pretty

soon. Yeah, unfortunate for him. I thought he was the biggest competitor, but also not a Toyota. They were good. They were good. Back to Chicago. Do you want to return to Chicagoland? Yes, of course.

But I want them to work on their infrastructure. What what what what what what stood out to you hmm what stood out to you as far as infrastructure like the track itself or no amenities around the track fan experience stuff yeah I mean not being able to get it in the racetrack I get it that it rained but it's it rains in that area we we've been that in that area at that time remember Chicago like it rains and it rains a lot so you know just you got to regrade your surfaces

or pave it or put gravel down or something but you know when I saw you know parking lot A B C D E F G and K were all closed it was like alphabet

it's like man I you know I took a video of like the car graveyard of the people that had to leave their car there from Saturday and it's just like telling you that's man it's it's it's it's a tough part about nascar tracks is they're usually in the middle of nowhere and there's two lane roads running to them and so traffic's bad anyway and then when you can't park

in the main parking lots it it's just uh i guess i saw an aerial of someone in the stands and there's hell of a line coming in look like field of dreams They're coming into the racetrack. The cars are on the race, you know, we're getting ready to go green. So just the fan experience, man, just it's got to be top notch at all times, all racetracks. You know, as I'm leaving the racetrack, I'm seeing people walk back to their cars. And it is, I mean, we are 1.5 miles away from the racetrack and they're still walking. You know what I mean?

It's just like, how do you get, how do you get the people? people back from that. Like they know that, okay, I'm going to get to enjoy this sport that I love, but I'm going to have to go through absolute hell to do it. I just, it's, that's hard, that's a big ask. You might get them to do it once, but yeah, it's, it'll be tough. Fields of dreams. It was. You know what the field of dreams? That's the field of dreams. Look at the final scene of field of dreams. I know. People coming in. I know. Just, your references out of left field sometimes are hilarious. So yeah, it's just that.

And then, you know, there was people saying there wasn't food options in the infield. And like you could tell the infield, they cut the grass. They put some new pain on some things, but it still was old, you know. And so, and again, if they just said, we're only raising here one year and we just don't give a shit about the rest of stuff, which I don't think they said that. You know, they did what they needed to do to put on a race, which they did. And if you look at the racetrack, pit road, all those things, you'd say, yep, it's just like every other race that we've got, everything's great.

But it's, I'm more into the what fans nowadays, especially sports fans expect a lot when it comes to what's the experience. That's parking. That's traffic. that's all the above, right? Because I know as a person when I, if I were to go to a football game or a baseball game

or like, I'm going to consider the whole experience. Like, oh, I don't want to sit in two and a half hours of traffic to go watch a baseball game. Like, it's just not worth it to me. I'll watch it on TV. Coverage is great. Yeah, you think about like all these other sports, they're constantly getting new stadiums

or at least renovations. All the time. Fans have high standards and whether you like it or not. And there's more options now than ever for fans to go take in a sporting event. So if you're not giving them the best, they're going to, oh, let's go, you want to go see a baseball game? Do you want to go to the race? Go to the baseball game.

It's got a great ballpark. Internet's great. Jumbotrons, food, everything. Yeah. Yeah, and their food comes to you, by the way. Right? I mean, you want a dog in the middle of the sixth inning. The guy's going to holler at you right there.

So, yeah. just it's just those things and it's not something that is you know i think the track did a great job whatever they did with their promotions you know got it nearly sold out if they i think they did sell it out they did sell it out that was the announcement that was the announcement okay um i just think it has long-term effects right it's it's not going to happen it ain't going to hurt you now it's going to hurt you later. And so I'm sure Ben and his team are looking at all the things that they obviously could improve week in, week out, but I'm just, man, spend in fan experience and spend in infrastructure to get them in there and the parking and make it quick and not have, you know,

12 person shuttles from the parking lot to, you got to have 50 person shuttles and like just all those things, you know. Does NASCAR need to commit to this track or the street course? Like, do they need to make a commitment on what's going to be the Chicago market going forward? I have no idea. I mean, why can't you have two? I don't know. We just see that when you go to one race, usually the attendance spikes.

You know, all these other tracks we cut down to one race. Yeah, but I would venture to say that the audience is vastly different. If I looked around in Chicago, I would have said those are our avid fans. Those are our avid fans that watch us Week in, week out. When I went to Chicago, I said, ain't none of these people been to know a NASCAR race before. That's what Glock says the tweet up was

diehard fans on something. Oh, he did? Yeah. Okay, that tracks then. That's possible. I think Jordan and Jeff, or maybe it's just Jordan, say there's room in the schedule for all these, but I don't, I feel like the schedule is as tight

as it is right now. Is you're going, to Chicago twice, you're going to keep this on the schedule and go back to the street course. Well, then where's that, where's that California date, right? Are you going to go back to San Diego? You're going to do something else in California? We can't race around. Even though there's 38, I feel like that.

We can't race around those Amazon warehouses that they built. You could? Yeah, it could be a prime race. That'd be good. Yeah. I thought, you know, it was a good weekend overall. I mean, listen, there was a ton of rain. I mean, by the way, I'm not going to.

There was a fishing spot right outside Chicago that you just needed to throw a line in the water and basically catch one. And I knew before the rain. So I went out there on Friday or Saturday. No, it was Friday. I went out there. So whatever rain they had before.

Saturday. You took Jordan out Saturday morning. Okay. So it was Saturday. Like, it was wet. When I say wet, my golf cart barely got through the parking lot. And it was, you know, it didn't, where I was driving, it didn't look like there was any problem, but it was tons of water. So even before the storms happened Saturday afternoon that dumped a ton more, it was, they had, they were going to have issues. So that's just, that's an infrastructure problem. And hopefully they get it all worked out because I certainly would love to return to that racetrack. I know our avid fans that were there certainly, you know, loved it. Good fishing.

Great. Great. Bracket challenge. You went chalk last week. How did I do? Chalk more or less prevailed. You missed one. The only one.

I missed one. Yeah. Which one? Todd father. Todd did not. you didn't know host of our did not beat Todd yeah you did not account for host of our getting right okay all right well that's not bad wow there was a lot of seemed like there would be more that was the round of 16 right yep two four six eight where's the rest of them oh i see i see i see

you got it on here okay so now now it's on right now we got bowman versus gilland I took Byron over Larson? Check your... No, I believe you. Blaney, SVG, okay. All right. So let's start at the top. Bowman versus Gilland.

Where are we at? Atlanta? Ooh, this is close. This is close. Bowman's been strong. Bowman, you know, I'm just, trying to think every time I'm around there. Give me Bowman on this one. Briscoe Elliott. 32C. I'm saying he's going to make it to the final four. Right? This is the final eight?

Yeah. He's on the Thai Dylan run. No, he's not. I know. I know. It's not the same. I know it's not the same. All right. Briscoe versus Elliott. Give me Chase Elliott. Home. Cowen cooking. Okay. Me versus Bell. Is this the thing where you can't bet against yourself? I mean, you can, but if I better not. I get it.

Bell is strong. Bell is pretty strong there. But for podcast purposes, I'll say myself. But I, y'all know what I'm saying. You're listening. Have you ever had a good run at Atlanta in this next gen era? I have. Yeah.

Yes. first couple times and then last year I had a decent run I've just I've gotten crash dude every time yeah I'm not yeah I'm not saying you aren't good at Atlanta I'm just like it feels like we're always caught up in whatever or I've caused a crash or like I've caused crashes here too a couple years ago you just said you're going to stroll around in 20th because there was a playoff race right yeah and I ended up getting crashed yeah anyway all right you finished sixth in that last February. All right.

So I'm going Bowman, Elliot, me, Byron Blaney. This one is tough. They're both going to be up front. Byron Blaney. Man, it seems like Blaney's had, he's really strong on

these tracks, but he does get crashed a lot. Depends on what his picker does too. Not really. Give me, give me Blaney. Give me Blaney. Blaney, me, Elliot Bowman.

Final answer. Blaney's been really strong in Atlanta. Really strong. Yep. Yep. Wow. Finishing? Yeah.

Aside from getting in a wreck last February, February or sorry, summer race 2025. He's on a, top 10 one, two, three, four, five, six, seven. Seven out of eight races finishing the top ten. And start in the top ten.

So this is just a Ford weekend. Could be. Could be. All right. What else you all got? We got Atlanta coming up. You want to talk about the Exfini race here at Chicago land

before we move on? Brandon Jones. Winner on Saturday night? Heck of a job, Brandon. I heard him or I heard the announcer say that they had a discussion with Brandon. He said that, yeah, it's just over the last.

Something about I've been giving, giving, and I'm going to start taking more in these races. And he took, he took the win and just did an amazing job on those green white checkers. And it was a shame I saw the first green white check world, the only green white checker that happened. The race was shaping up between him and Chase Elliott. really, really good right before that caution. So I was, like, bummed.

I'm like, damn, now it's going to come down to a little shootout. But, I mean, he took it to him. I mean, he just did a great job. Obviously, had a very fast car. I thought him and Taylor Gray and Chase Elliott seemed to be, you know, kind of the class of the field. Connor, whatever happened to him, he was fast in the first stage, got in traffic.

Well, they had fuel issues. after the first stage. Was a fuel issues or Rodney not filled up? Well, that's, I think they even came back and said, wasn't filled up. Like, I think the announcer said, like, I think they just ran out of fuel. It should have been able to go longer than what,

what it, what he did. But I don't know, you know, this is, this is what's going on with Connor, right? Is he,

once he gets in the traffic, it's like, there's just something that has, happens and then he's had a few he had a few spins and he had some flat tires one of the flat tires is kind of i think it was because he spun right or do you know or he got in the wall then it went flat so it's you know those are kind of self-inducing things he's just got to just take a breath and and find a way to just keep the thing straight and on the racetrack um because the traffic seems to be the issue

with him right now. Because out front, he was fast. I mean, there was nobody even close. But to finish, just Brandon Jones, just you got to give him his flowers on how I think Grady's doing and certainly optimist. Like over the last few years, it just seems like he's more part of the picture

when it comes to winning these races. And now these are the bread and butter type tracks. It seems like the mile and a halfs is where, you know, JGR's strong point is. And it seems like it's his strong point. Kansas, he was definitely the fastest car there. But it was great to see him and Sam and that whole team get the job done. And a green white checker beating a cup guy straight up in a green white checker.

Next week we head to Atlanta. Not practice. Just qualifying. 4.30 on True TV. And then race Sunday, another night race, 6 p.m. on TNT. Pre-race at 6 p.m. Cup race starts at 7 p.m. Eastern on TNT. Night race.

Another night race. Which, that time of year, it'll be pretty hot. And I'll be doing the CW booth for the O'Reilly's race on Saturday night. There you go. That'd be fun. I got a review here from Austin Schultz. I started rooting for Denny after he won the Buds shootout as a rookie 20 years later he's my favorite athlete of all time would have never dreamed he'd become a top 10

driver of all time it's been incredible to cheer for cheer him on every sunday since then and looking forward to the last couple of years podcast is great too i've learned more on this pod than any other nascar pod and has only made me cheer more on sundays so shout out austin shultz thanks austin appreciate that and thanks to everyone that came to the um the Toyota um fan experience for my little Q&A there there tons of tons of Denny bros out there tons of Denny and they're making their own gear making their own gear and some Denny ladies some there's some Denny ladies out there so if there's Denny Bros or those well she asked she said can I didn't even even though I'm not a bro can I be a Denny bro I said I think so the headband you know what I'm

saying right yes Okay. Okay. All right. Well, we'll see you guys after next week. Let's keep this run going. Check out Dirtymo Media on Instagram, Facebook, X, and TikTok.