What Denny Hamlin said about Chevrolet’s role in NASCAR Martinsville playoff controversy

Denny Hamlin shared his thoughts on the end of Sunday’s Xfinity 500 NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway.

Hamlin, on his weekly podcast “Actions Detrimental,” acknowledged a potential blocking scheme set up to get William Byron into the Championship 4.

Byron was running sixth and was fading from the lead. His point standing had him one point above the cut line and he could not lose another position.

Fellow Chevrolet drivers Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon drove behind Byron’s No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, not passing Byron while preventing other drivers from doing so.

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“If everything played out natural between the other cars, the 24 is out.” Hamlin said. “The other cars were just parked behind him.”

The way Chastain and Dillon drove at the end of the race is under investigation by NASCAR, as are the late-race actions of Bubba Wallace in the No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota.

Wallace reported issues in the final laps, allowing, fellow Toyota driver Christopher Bell to pass him via a wall-ride move for another place in the running order and a point in the close playoff race.

Bell crossed the line in 18th place, which would have tied Bell and Byron in the points standings with Bell owning the tiebreaker. However, Bell was assessed a safety violation penalty by NASCAR for the wall-ride maneuver and was taken out of the playoffs.

Bell wrote his frustration on X, formerly known as Twitter, with a photo of him talking with team owner Joe Gibbs and a caption, “Just a couple guys missing a bow tie,” in reference to the Chevrolet logo.

Hamlin shared his thoughts on the dynamics that lifted Byron’s championship bid. Hamlin said he wouldn’t know exactly how to handle manufacture teammates helping each other out.

What Hamlin thought was the teams not involved with the playoffs wouldn’t care about the penalty or the manufacturer would just pay whatever fine, as long as their driver is in the Championship 4.

“I don’t know what you can do about it other than taking manufacturer’s points away,” Hamlin said on Monday.

Hamlin’s 23XI driver, Tyler Reddick, races for the NASCAR Cup Series championship at 2 p.m. CT on Sunday at Phoenix Raceway.

Follow sports writer Austin Chastain on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @ChastainAJ or reach him via email at achastain@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Denny Hamlin said about Chevrolet’s role in NASCAR playoff controversy