TRENDING Packers defeat Panthers WNBA Finals: Dream force Game 7 Bears land DT Jeffery Simmons HS player bodychecks ref Red Wings suspend Larkin Story by Story by Denny Hamlin: Chevy Teams Answer to Rick Hendrick Andrew Ravens Fri, October 30, 2026 at 6:48 PM UTC · 3 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Denny Hamlin says Ross Chastain had no choice but to follow orders at Talladega. Hamlin also says those orders run through one person, Rick Hendrick.
Hamlin made the comments on his Actions Detrimental podcast this week. He was asked about Chastain blocking a lane at the end of a stage while running a lap down.
Hamlin drives for Joe Gibbs Racing and co-owns 23XI Racing, so he sees the motorsports business as both a driver and a team owner.
"He's doing what he's told," Hamlin said. "As a driver, you're the lowest on the totem pole when it comes to team orders or manufacturer orders."
Hamlin then ranked who Chastain answers to. "I'm gonna put Hendrick at the top. Then, I'm gonna put below that, Chevy. Then below that I'm gonna put Trackhouse, and then below that I'm gonna have the crew chief. Then below that is the driver," he said.
Hamlin also brought up a post Danielle Trotta made before the Oct. 25 race at Talladega. The SiriusXM host wrote that she was hearing Chevrolet had told its teams to help Kyle Larson .
"Danielle Trotta got a bunch of grief about her journalism of going in there and asking people, 'What's the deal with Chevy?' and they're saying, 'Oh, our job is to push Larson today or protect Larson,'" Hamlin said.
"I mean, we all know it. People just didn't like to see it in writing," Hamlin added.
"And I put Hendrick above Chevy because he controls the whole thing. And if you are Trackhouse or you're a Spire or you're Hyak or you're whoever else, it all runs through Rick Hendrick," Hamlin said. "It does not run through Chevy. That Chevy Technical Center is Hendrick Motorsports Performance Center."
"That's what it is. And so you have to suck at the teat of the master. I mean, that's just the way this thing works. And I'm sorry, but that is the truth," Hamlin added.
Hamlin went on to question whether other Chevrolet teams, such as Richard Childress Racing , get the same help from the manufacturer.
"I don't believe anyone will ever be Tier 1 with Chevy other than Hendrick because you control it," Hamlin said. "And as long as you control it, you control how that information gets shared. I mean, do we really honestly believe that RCR is getting the same information as Hendrick from Chevy? Come on."
Hamlin did say Larson has earned that support with how he has run in the Chase.
"The 5 car has earned his right to be the number one guy that everyone else has to look out for, even if you're not actually associated with the same race team as he is," Hamlin said.
Larson won Talladega by 0.041 seconds over Hendrick Motorsports teammate William Byron after charging from 11th on the final lap of overtime. He thanked his "Chevy GM partners for working with me all day" after the race.
It is not the first time Hamlin has talked about how manufacturers back their contenders. Earlier this month, he said a carmaker with only one title contender has an edge because it can focus its resources on that driver.
Larson heads to Martinsville Speedway with a 73-point lead over Hamlin with two races left in the NASCAR Cup Series season.
Source: Sports
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