NASCAR drivers are always competitive, even if they are teammates. During Monday's Würth 400 at Dover Motor Speedway, a pair of Joe Gibbs Racing drivers had a little clash on the racetrack. Denny Hamlin, who is the longest-tenured driver at JGR, seemed pretty frustrated with teammate Christopher Bell.
Apparently, Hamlin was annoyed with Bell for keeping him from passing, and he vented his frustration over his in-car radio.
What Denny said before getting around Christopher Bell: https://t.co/kRBKaP27z4 pic.twitter.com/LZvHTt5jt0
— FOX: NASCAR (@NASCARONFOX) May 1, 2023
"C'mon C-Bell, get the f*** out of the way. F***ing bull****," Hamlin said as he fought Bell for fourth place. Hamlin's crew chief, Chris Gabehart, responded and told Denny to settle in and that he would pass him.
Hamlin wasn't the only one who was a little upset over the radio, as Bell also made a comment.
"What is Denny doing?" Bell asked his crew chief, Adam Stevens, as Bell wasn't aware that Hamlin was mad at him.
It seems like the brief run-in between Hamlin and Bell caused a little bit of heat between the teammates — not surprising, since Hamlin hasn't gone to victory lane since last year's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. Meanwhile, Bell has won three times in the last 16 races, most recently scoring a win at the Bristol Dirt Race.
Hamlin looked as if he had a car that could compete for the win at Dover, but he didn't quite have enough at the end and ultimately finished the day in fifth. Meanwhile, Bell grabbed a sixth-place finish. It was a pretty good day for Joe Gibbs Racing as a whole, as teammate Martin Truex Jr. grabbed the win, ending his 54-race winless streak.
Hamlin better move on from getting into heated moments with teammates. He only has four top-10 finishes this season, and his best finish was fourth at Martinsville. There is nothing wrong with being a little angry, but history shows that when Hamlin gets mad at other drivers, it hasn't always ended very well for him.