Welcome to FTW’s NASCAR Feud of the Week, where we provide a detailed breakdown of the latest absurd, funny and sometimes legitimate controversies and issues within the racing world.
Unlike our most recent NASCAR Feud story – which was entirely a joke based on a real 11-year-old feud — this one is serious and reflects poorly on multiple parties involved.
Sunday’s AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 500 at Texas Motor Speedway opened the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs Round of 12 after four drivers were eliminated from the postseason field the previous week. And although Tyler Reddick — once a playoff driver but one of the first four dropped from championship contention — won the race, the ignited feud between Denny Hamlin and William Byron took centerstage.
Basically, Byron showed his displeasure with Hamlin during the race by hitting the back of the No. 11 Toyota. It’s certainly not the first time this has happened in NASCAR, but it happened under caution, which is still dangerous and considered far more unacceptable.
Let’s dive into what happened and how on earth NASCAR missed this moment, despite cameras literally everywhere.