Latest / Kenny Wallace Media / Denny Hamlin Explains Bubba Wallace Incident & Conversation After | Stephanie Otey Reports

Transcript

Denny Hamlin Explains Bubba Wallace Incident & Conversation After | Stephanie Otey Reports · Kenny Wallace Media

• 0:00
  Danny, thank you so much for meeting me with me.
• 0:01
  I know it's the last minute. We're making it work.
• 0:03
  But you know about my win streak and you usually get a feeling
• 0:07
  before every race, and I know that you aren't really feeling
• 0:11
  so great about it. But just for the sake of my win
• 0:14
  streak, I need to know that you can get out there and keep it.
• 0:16
  On Can we move the goal posts possibly to a top?
• 0:19
  That is what I did with you earlier 'cause I talked to you
• 0:21
  in Nashville, but I saved it for the Michigan race 'cause it was
• 0:24
  about Ohio State. I mean truthfully, if I get a
• 0:26
  top five on the robo this weekend, that is like a win and
• 0:30
  I would consider your streak still alive.
• 0:33
  What actually, what if we did this?
• 0:34
  What if we just made it about the championship alone?
• 0:39
  Because I don't think I can get back.
• 0:40
  I'd have to. I don't think I can talk to you.
• 0:41
  I have to get interviewed. Directly for that, we'll have to
• 0:45
  do a Zoomer or I'll face them or something because I have Penn
• 0:48
  State plays and that'll be a good one, big one.
• 0:52
  But okay, so you've had a lot going on and we talked about it
• 0:56
  last time. Who's more busy, you or Dale?
• 0:58
  And you have the lawsuit, you have ownership versus the
• 1:03
  driver. That's been a big thing for you
• 1:05
  is you're a different guy. We were, I was joking with you
• 1:07
  as you sat down. You became a different person.
• 1:09
  Like you just acted differently when you get rolling.
• 1:11
  So when you get into the car today, it's Saturday.
• 1:14
  Are you driver Danny? Are you owner Danny?
• 1:16
  Driver driver, you know, I'm also owner because I'm a fan of
• 1:21
  the 45 now that got the pole. So like to see that for sure.
• 1:25
  But yeah, I'm I'm more of a split role today, but my job
• 1:31
  mostly as a as a driver. Well, Bubba did talk about it,
• 1:35
  and I guess you guys had a heart to heart.
• 1:37
  Do you think that would have gone the same if it was last
• 1:39
  year? You've talked a lot about his
• 1:40
  maturity, but he did flip you off.
• 1:42
  But that was driver Denny. Yeah.
• 1:43
  So was there like a light bulb that?
• 1:45
  Went off that's like a that's like a lifeline for him.
• 1:47
  He's able he's able to do it and then say no, no, that's for that
• 1:50
  guy or that guy. So no, but it is we are in a
• 1:54
  good place and certainly feel like, you know, the emotional
• 1:56
  maturity that Bubba has gone through over the last few years
• 1:59
  has change things quite a bit and I feel like we're definitely
• 2:03
  in a great place. How would have gone before this
• 2:06
  all happened? You talked a lot about him
• 2:07
  becoming a dad, but yeah, how would have gone differently?
• 2:11
  Well, I, I think it has gone differently.
• 2:13
  I think, you know, years and years ago, you know, we weren't
• 2:17
  able to talk things out right. And, you know, we've had our
• 2:20
  disagreements. And so I just think that we all
• 2:23
  get older, you know, the family grows, things like that.
• 2:25
  And you just, you start to change as a person.
• 2:27
  And, and I thought it was important for me to just, you
• 2:30
  know, be receptive and, and kind of use it as a listening
• 2:33
  session. Well, for my win streak, are you
• 2:35
  willing to rock him to to win? No, not.
• 2:38
  No. Not this week, no.
• 2:40
  OK, well that's you as the owner, but you're also a
• 2:43
  teammate with Joe Gibbs and his grandson is on.
• 2:48
  He's Ty's racing with his name on on his team and your partner
• 2:52
  in that. And you guys had a little bit of
• 2:54
  a run in. You said that you saw what he
• 2:56
  said. He didn't really own up to it.
• 2:59
  So he I don't know if you sold this part, but he said we we
• 3:02
  have some lessons from that. And he said, well, you can hear
• 3:05
  what the other guys have said. I'll leave it at that.
• 3:07
  Was he deflecting like you guys had private conversations?
• 3:11
  Was he? Yeah, I think, yeah, I think
• 3:14
  that I think he prefers to to keep a private, you know, Tie is
• 3:17
  that kind of person who certainly prefers, you know,
• 3:21
  privacy when it comes to things like that.
• 3:23
  But I again, you know, I feel like we're in a good place.
• 3:27
  Like it took a one-on-one conversation.
• 3:29
  Were you in a good place prior to that conversation?
• 3:32
  No, I mean, I think we were definitely in a differing
• 3:34
  opinions and we still, yeah. And so I still think that there
• 3:38
  is a chance that we probably still have a differing opinion
• 3:41
  of, you know, what's right, what's wrong.
• 3:43
  But that's OK. And I think that as long as the,
• 3:45
  the parties know that and understand, then expectations
• 3:49
  will be shifted next time. And, and certainly, you know, I,
• 3:53
  I'll, I'll know what to expect and he'll know what to expect.
• 3:55
  So I feel certainly like, you know, the relationship,
• 3:59
  sometimes you need these things to evolve and, and as you get
• 4:02
  new teammates and it ties a young guy coming in, like you
• 4:06
  have to get an understanding of how you're, how you're going to
• 4:09
  work with those guys. Well, you're really close to Joe
• 4:12
  Gibbs and you off the track. You were saying you wanted him
• 4:16
  to step in. Did he have a one-on-one
• 4:18
  conversation? Yeah, Joe.
• 4:20
  Yeah, Joe certainly, you know, had a role in it.
• 4:22
  You know, obviously he, he likes for the drivers to kind of
• 4:24
  figure those things out. And I think when we left there,
• 4:27
  we felt very comfortable that we knew what to expect going
• 4:31
  forward. And and again, it stinks it
• 4:34
  happens under those circumstances, but sometimes you
• 4:36
  need those in order to get better.
• 4:38
  Well, you're, you have experience now as an owner.
• 4:41
  So would this change how you would handle it between maybe Ty
• 4:44
  and Bubba Tyler? And if that were to happen,
• 4:47
  would you handle as the owner? Would you want them to handle
• 4:49
  it? Yeah, I that's a family.
• 4:52
  Yeah. There's a different, different
• 4:54
  one. I I think usually when it comes
• 4:56
  cross organizations, it's usually the drivers that that
• 4:59
  need to figure it out like you know, if but.
• 5:01
  That's the point. Where you felt that?
• 5:03
  Joe should stop. Well, just, I, I just, because
• 5:06
  I, I didn't know exactly what he wanted us to do.
• 5:10
  And I just need a clarification on what he expected from me and
• 5:13
  Ty and Chase and, and Christopher.
• 5:16
  So, you know, sometimes you need that leadership to, to come in
• 5:18
  there and say, OK, this is what's best for the company and
• 5:21
  we want you to do that. And I'm I'm all for that.
• 5:24
  Well, you've also talked about how you would handle that.
• 5:28
  But also at the same time, you, you said that you said that you
• 5:33
  what took it too far. And I always joke with you about
• 5:35
  how you have so much on your plate.
• 5:37
  You have ownership, you're racing for the playoffs.
• 5:39
  That 60th win means a lot to you.
• 5:41
  And if you push it too far, do you think that you finally put
• 5:45
  too much on your plate? I.
• 5:48
  Don't think so because like even last week with everything that
• 5:51
  was going on with Joe good racing, right?
• 5:53
  I'm I'm a half a corner from winning that race.
• 5:55
  I mean dominating that race A. Few times.
• 5:58
  And so I it really doesn't affect me on race day.
• 6:00
  Certainly it changes the week a little bit and you got to allow
• 6:03
  for a few more meetings, a few few more one-on-one meetings.
• 6:07
  But I am always locked in when I get in that car.
• 6:11
  I never compromise the work that I have to do to prepare racing,
• 6:17
  certainly right now comes first. Well, does it change things
• 6:20
  because you you did give yourself a bit of a deadline
• 6:22
  like you have that two year mark and do you think there's more
• 6:25
  pressure? Would this have gone differently
• 6:26
  if you didn't feel like you have probably amount?
• 6:29
  Of time, yeah, I think that's very fair.
• 6:31
  And, you know, there's personal reasons why, you know, winning,
• 6:35
  right? Like the second really matters.
• 6:38
  But yeah, I mean, I was at my track that I got my very first
• 6:43
  start, you know, it would have been 60 for me.
• 6:47
  Punching ticket to the round of eight, more bonus points for the
• 6:50
  round of eight. There was just a lot of inner
• 6:52
  motivation. I I, we just had a bad pit stop.
• 6:55
  And so I was hell bent on getting that back for the pit
• 6:58
  crew. Just it was a tornado of events
• 7:02
  that just all came together at one time.
• 7:04
  Do you? Think doing this so long you
• 7:05
  just because there's so much you can't control and you say it all
• 7:07
  the time about how this sport luck does have to be on your
• 7:10
  side. You get the pre race interview.
• 7:11
  I'm hoping my luck still counts, but is there like a burnout of
• 7:16
  that kind of emotion? Because that was, you looked
• 7:18
  very sad after that. We could tell that, yeah, yeah.
• 7:22
  Well, it hit me as a driver first while I'm in the race car
• 7:25
  and then I'm out there and I'm like, Dang, my team didn't win
• 7:29
  either. And so I was just, I was the
• 7:32
  only driver that lost twice in one corner.
• 7:34
  So it's certainly was was not ideal, but you learn from the
• 7:39
  situation. Do you figure out kind of what
• 7:41
  I'm more concerned about? Like what can I do on the
• 7:44
  racetrack to prevent that from happening?
• 7:46
  How could I have changed that outcome?
• 7:49
  I felt like I didn't enter that corner any differently than I
• 7:51
  had all previous times. But we were stuck together and
• 7:56
  I, I couldn't get unstuck. And then you know, certainly you
• 7:59
  know should have done a better job of of checking in with Bubba
• 8:02
  afterwards. Yeah.
• 8:03
  So I mean you guys were able to have that one-on-one
• 8:06
  conversation, but how does that play out for the future?
• 8:09
  I mean, you still have that deadline.
• 8:11
  So like today or even with this playoff?
• 8:13
  Yeah, I mean, I know how many races I've got left, you know,
• 8:16
  contractually anyway. And yeah, I know that, you know,
• 8:21
  if I want to get to my goals, I I need to win, you know,
• 8:24
  whenever I have that opportunity.
• 8:25
  I just don't know what will happen next year.
• 8:27
  Will our cars be as fast? Will I be as good?
• 8:30
  You just never know. And and so when those
• 8:32
  opportunities are staring at you right in the face, you want to
• 8:34
  capitalize. Yeah.
• 8:36
  I mean, as we talked about all the different titles that you
• 8:38
  have, you've said that the the lawsuit was the most consuming
• 8:41
  for you, but what took the the front lead now?
• 8:46
  I would say just, you know, smoothing things over, you know,
• 8:49
  with, with Bobo is the number one priority of the week.
• 8:53
  And trying to figure out how I was going to approach that, you
• 8:57
  know, talk to the team. Felt like we're in a good place
• 8:59
  there. It's just, you know, it's, it's,
• 9:02
  it's a fortunate but unfortunate circumstance because you love
• 9:06
  that you're making contact for wins and not for 12th place.
• 9:09
  But it's, this is the first time that it's came up in, in five
• 9:13
  years. And so, and then hopefully it's
• 9:14
  not the last. I want us to be battling for for
• 9:17
  race wins into the future. I feel like this is the most It
• 9:20
  sounds like usually when you talk about retirement, it sounds
• 9:22
  like you want to keep going. It seems like it's you're
• 9:24
  starting to get closer to being ready to be.
• 9:27
  I just, I don't know where I'm going to be, but I, I just feel
• 9:30
  like I, I want to be competitive.
• 9:31
  I want to win or have an opportunity to win in, in my
• 9:34
  final races. And in two years is is enough
• 9:38
  for me to where I think that I'll accomplish my win goal.
• 9:44
  There'll be nothing else left for me to prove I've made all
• 9:48
  the money I need to make what you know, I just don't want to
• 9:51
  go out on the downhill. I, I want to be someone that
• 9:54
  they felt like, oh, he could have kept going.
• 9:57
  That's that's the right, that's that's the time to quit is when
• 10:00
  people think that you should keep going.
• 10:02
  That for me is is, you know, cements your legacy as as a
• 10:06
  driver. I mean, you've talked about the
• 10:07
  number of ones you want to get, but I mean, you you keep having
• 10:11
  these close calls and some things are out of your control.
• 10:15
  How do you handle that like emotionally when there's so much
• 10:17
  that you can't control? You've done this long enough,
• 10:19
  but with because of the deadline, I mean, does that
• 10:21
  change how you the phrase of the pit crew and things like that
• 10:24
  it. Changes the mentality right
• 10:26
  there there does create a sense of urgency knowing that OK, that
• 10:31
  that's one off the ticker that that's left.
• 10:33
  So certainly it was one of the motivating factors for me doing
• 10:39
  all I could to try to win that race.
• 10:42
  Well it was good to break it all down with you.
• 10:44
  Appreciate you making it happen all last minute.
• 10:46
  We went and watched some college football coming up.
• 10:49
  Are you going to go to any on State Games?
• 10:50
  Yes, that. My plan is as soon as the
• 10:52
  season's over, even though there's no great games, home
• 10:56
  games after the season, I'm sure they're going to be in the
• 10:59
  College Football Playoff. And so we didn't go.
• 11:03
  Last year at the show, but. I know Ann Arbor.
• 11:06
  I know it you. Could be you could be the lucky
• 11:09
  guy for that one because every. They have I they've only lost
• 11:13
  one game since I've been on the bandwagon and that was up north.
• 11:17
  Well, they. Came but you know what I mean
• 11:19
  that was that was a crazy one but that one I don't think we
• 11:21
  would have gone I mean we're we're all talented we saved at
• 11:23
  the big for the playoffs but I don't think they would have been
• 11:26
  that crazy until that Michigan the Michigan loss always helps
• 11:30
  yeah like they just go off but why not go because I feel like
• 11:34
  you you should go to Columbus and do have you done the tour of
• 11:36
  the woody or anything I. Haven't they?
• 11:38
  Have your flag up there. That's awesome.
• 11:40
  Have you talked to any of the guys?
• 11:42
  Charlie has he's in contact with.
• 11:46
  Mark Pantoni, yeah. So.
• 11:48
  He came to a race. Did you get to talk to him?
• 11:49
  Yes. Yeah, I saw him in the driver
• 11:51
  drivers meeting. I'm like, what are you doing
• 11:53
  here? But that was fine.
• 11:55
  I I haven't been back to Columbus either because I'm on,
• 11:56
  as you see now. But you got to get to the
• 11:59
  rivalry game, no? Doubt.
• 12:00
  OK, Well, you're taking in this one.
• 12:01
  They're playing Minnesota. I haven't looked at the spread.
• 12:03
  You you have a pretty problem. Yeah.
• 12:05
  College football, well, I mean even against the spread that but
• 12:08
  we Ohio State still great. Because you said you jumped on
• 12:10
  the bandwagon but you but took them.
• 12:12
  I don't know if I can say you better or not, but like you took
• 12:14
  them in the preseason, so that means.
• 12:16
  Charlie told or. I'm sorry, Travis told me to.
• 12:20
  And I mean, the odds weren't great.
• 12:21
  It was like 6 1/2 to one but still.
• 12:23
  You guys so it was the Ohio State game the first time you
• 12:26
  and Travis hung out like did Ohio State bring you guys That
• 12:29
  was the. First time we hung out, yes.
• 12:31
  OK. Well, Travis, there's no looking
• 12:33
  back now, Yeah. Yeah.
• 12:35
  And and like also he got to see, well, how are you?
• 12:37
  Like, you guys need to get to a Pittsburgh game.
• 12:40
  Yeah, yeah. So Travis, Travis said.
• 12:42
  Because I remember him and I were battling with each other
• 12:44
  for the Michigan race. You got you got Ohio State, a
• 12:48
  win against our rival. But apparently me and Travis
• 12:50
  both told you to do the OH, and you did.
• 12:53
  You did give people. Give me.
• 12:55
  The OH Travis. People give me the OH,
• 12:56
  everywhere I go. Now fighting about I'm like I
• 12:58
  told him to do and he goes no I did, I didn't.
• 13:00
  Realize how many Ohio State fans there are I.
• 13:03
  Need to I need time stamps of it.
• 13:04
  Who? But you're OK.
• 13:05
  Can you do the OHI? Just got to.
• 13:07
  See it? I just do.
• 13:08
  Oh, right. Yeah, that one looks good.
• 13:11
  I feel like Yeah, yeah. Close it. close it.
• 13:14
  I gotta close it. OK, so I'll work.
• 13:16
  On give you an oh every time you see them now.
• 13:17
  If they're a fan, they do, and yeah, OK.
• 13:20
  Well, they gotta get a track. Definitely at the guardians
• 13:22
  game, got a lot of OHS. Yeah, I just had a meeting with
• 13:25
  like NASCAR media and we were talking about the crossover
• 13:27
  between college football and NASCAR.
• 13:30
  That's like your biggest crossover, but you're competing
• 13:32
  with them on Sundays. You talk a lot about the
• 13:35
  broadcasting and things like that, but what was your perfect
• 13:38
  setup now that hey, if you are you going to go into media more
• 13:42
  after you retire? I don't know.
• 13:44
  I The podcast will stay alive I. Have no idea what I'll do.
• 13:47
  I'll pick up another hobby. Are you going to keep doing?
• 13:49
  The podcast. No, not, not not when I'm done
• 13:52
  racing. So yeah, you're fishing.
• 13:53
  How's that one going? I caught one yesterday, but it's
• 13:57
  it's been a little slow. No, no, no, I I probably try to
• 14:01
  go three times a week, 1 evening, one morning if.
• 14:04
  You were to do a competition with fishing or chess?
• 14:06
  Which one do? Are you more successful or
• 14:09
  basketball? Chess.
• 14:11
  Chess. Yeah.
• 14:12
  Well, you've been doing it longer.
• 14:14
  Yes. You should do a tournament.
• 14:15
  We'll see. All right, then.
• 14:18
  Thank you so much. Thank you.