Denny Hamlin's comments from his Actions Detrimental podcast have irked his former teammate Kyle Busch, who pushed back on Saturday at Kansas Speedway.
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"People don't know what the hell they're talking about, and in this instance, I don't feel like Denny Hamlin even knows what the hell he's talking about," Busch told The Athletic's Jeff Gluck.
Hamlin's comments took place during a segment on his podcast lasting nearly 13 minutes. He tried to address Busch's ongoing struggles at Richard Childress Racing. The two-time Cup Series champion has not won a race since Gateway in 2023, and he enters Kansas Speedway sitting 24th in the 2026 standings without a top-10 finish.
"Clearly, (Richard Childress Racing) is not good right now, but you're a Hall of Fame, Mount Rushmore driver," Hamlin said during the episode.
"Carry (the car) better than your teammate (Austin Dillon) then, OK? If you're the greatest, carry it better than your teammate who has won (six) races. Find a way. I think that's what he should be able to do, but it's not happening."
Hamlin said that he "can't hold the guy's helmet, talent-wise" in reference to Busch, who leads all active drivers with 63 Cup Series wins. Busch is also the all-time winningest driver when combining the three national series.
Austin Dillon, for comparison, has six career wins in a full-time tenure that began with the 2014 season. He has won twice at Richmond, twice at Daytona, once at Texas, and once at Charlotte.
Hamlin particularly said that Busch has struggled for five years now, dating back to the 2022 season. That campaign marked Busch's final season at Joe Gibbs Racing.
He only won a single race that season. He captured the Bristol Dirt Race after Chase Briscoe spun himself and Tyler Reddick in Turn 4.
"If Denny wants to switch cars, I'll switch cars with him any day of the week, anytime," Busch told Gluck when asked about these comments. "I would love for him to show me that he can carry it better than I can."
Busch did not particularly appreciate the comments from Hamlin's podcast — he did not specifically say which ones — but he noted that he can make Hamlin's "life hell." He has multiple ways that he could do so, including holding up Hamlin in traffic during Cup Series races.
Hamlin has since responded to Busch's comments at Kansas Speedway. He reposted the video on X and added the following comments: "Not really sure what I'm supposed to do. I host a podcast and I have to answer questions about relevant topics. Should I just say I dunno, everything seems fine to me? Not sure where he felt I 'bashed.' I'm walking a damn tight rope here."
Not really sure what I’m supposed to do. I host a podcast and I have to answer questions about relevant topics. Should I just say I dunno, everything seems fine to me?
Not sure where he felt I “bashed”. Im walking a damn tight rope here. https://t.co/rjab1f66DA— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) April 18, 2026
