Denny Hamlin uses Ohio State Buckeyes gesture to taunt NASCAR fans
Denny Hamlin won the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway and couldn't resist trolling the crowd after the race
Denny Hamlin reveled in both his victory at the NASCAR Cup Series FireKeepers Casino 400 and his playful banter with the Michigan crowd. Hamlin channeled his inner WWE pro wrestling villain, taunting the spectators and declaring that his fun will never cease.
Hamlin clinched his third NASCAR Cup Series win of the season at Michigan International Speedway. He snatched the race in the final laps after William Byron ran low on fuel and couldn't fend off the inevitable.
The No. 24 car seized the lead following a late-race disappointment for Carson Hocevar. After leading 32 laps and positioning himself for a potential first career win, Hocevar suffered a left-rear tire blowout with 19 laps remaining. Hamlin patiently trailed behind Byron, comfortably fueled to the end, and surpassed him with five laps left.
Prior to that, he teased the crowd with a jab aimed directly at the heart of most of the state's favorite college football team. Hamlin flashed an Ohio State Buckeyes hand gesture, trolling Michigan fans who passionately support the 12-time National Champions, currently coached by Sherrone Moore.
Hamlin candidly acknowledged playing up his role with the fans during his post-race interview, affirming, "I do have a lot of fun with it.
"I do thrive in it because you feel like you've got 60,000 people rooting against you. And when you have that, it feels excellent and gratifying to prove them wrong. I love that feeling. It makes these wins more gratifying to me."
"I'm always going to antagonize the booers. Until I get the switch (in crowd reaction), which I don't think I'm ever going to in my career, what else is there if I can't have fun? I love making people feel a certain way, positive or negative, I do not care.
"What they say on the other side of the fence, say what you got to say. I do have a lot of fun with it, I do thrive on it."
The racer then credited his team and Chris Gayle for his Continued success; this latest win at Martinsville and Darlington has pushed Hamlin past Christopher Bell into third place in the Cup Series standings after 15 races.
Ross Chastain crossed the finish line in sixth place and commented on feeling sidelined after Hamlin overtook him towards the end of the race.
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While tipping his hat to Hamlin's stellar performance, Chastain conceded his car "hasn't been quite as good" as Hamlin's, hinting at a benchmark for upcoming challenges as the season progresses.
He said: "When Denny Hamlin overtook me on that final stretch, I thought, 'I can't match that, so kudos to them. They've been remarkable.
"We just haven't been quite up to par to drive past those guys, but it was a respectable sixth-place finish for the No. 1 Chevrolet team."