Bubba Wallace reveals 'heart-to-heart' with Denny Hamlin over controversial Kansas wreck

Bubba Wallace has opened up on a tough week in his NASCAR Cup Series career, after contact with team owner Denny Hamlin cost him a season-changing win at Kansas last Sunday.

The 23XI Racing star was the favorite to win-and-in to the Round of 8 after an overtime restart, but his team owner Hamlin – whose power steering had failed earlier in the race – tried to pass him on the inside, but washed up and made contact, slowing both of them.

Chase Elliott snuck through under the chaos to take an unexpected victory, locking himself into the next round of the postseason and leaving Wallace more than 20 points below the cut line.

Wallace admitted that he had a 'somber week' as Hamlin insisted on his podcast that he wouldn't apologize for going for the race win. Hamlin later admitted that he and Wallace didn't discuss the incident until this weekend at Charlotte.

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Wallace reveals result of delayed Hamlin conversation

Speaking at Charlotte ahead of this weekend's Roval elimination race, Wallace said: "I don't fault Denny Hamlin for racing for win, racing for his team and his sponsors. I get the question a lot – what's it like racing Denny on the race track?

"No offense to them, but I could give two sh**s, because he's a competitor, and he has labeled it that way. And so that was two competitors going for a win, and so as much as it didn't work out, I have to respect that."

Early on Saturday, he revealed: "I hate it got to this point, the lingering effect, but Denny and I just talked 30 minutes ago. And it was a good heart-to-heart.

"The conversation came from a place of peace. It went better than I thought it would."

Latest NASCAR Cup Series standings

The standings after Kansas last weekend, and heading into Charlotte on Sunday, look like this:

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