NASCAR Cup Series

Denny Hamlin says Charlotte incident 'a step back' for Keselowski

Published Oct. 17, 2014 7:18 p.m. ET

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Jared Turner

Unlike teammate Matt Kenseth, Denny Hamlin did not engage Brad Keselowski in a physical confrontation after last Saturday's race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Hamlin was equally irate, however, at the Team Penske driver for what he perceived as reckless driving in the final stages of the Bank of America 500.

Afterward, Hamlin -- still in his No. 11 Toyota -- followed Keselowski's No. 2 Ford through the garage, and emerged from his car glaring in Keselowski's direction as if he might approach him at any moment.

But several crew members restrained Hamlin and ushered him into his team hauler before he could make a move he might later regret.

On Friday at Talladega Superspeedway, it was clear that Hamlin still harbors some frustration toward Keselowski -- with whom he has been civil the past two or three years, but butted heads with multiple times early in Keselowski's career when Keselowski was competing full time in the Nationwide Series and Hamlin was dabbling in that series in addition to his Sprint Cup duties.

"I think Brad's obviously a great talent and I think that Brad really has taken leaps and bounds over where he was when we had our incidents, and I think that was 2008 or 2009," Hamlin said. "I think he's changed as a person and a driver all for the better. I thought that last week was a bit of a step back for that, but we all have bad weeks and you go through it and you have to just move on. I think Brad knows where I stand and where the other drivers stand on how he's been."

Still steaming moments after Saturday night's race, Hamlin predicted that Keselowski -- who is 10th among 12 Chase drivers -- would "try to wreck everyone" at Talladega to earn a spot in the upcoming Chase Eliminator Round.

Asked by FOXSports.com about that comment on Friday, Keselowski laughed.

"It is just a bunch of talk to give you guys something to talk about," he said. "It worked. It might work with you, but it doesn't work with me."

While NASCAR hit Keselowski with a $50,000 fine for his post-race actions, Hamlin and Kenseth were unpunished -- a decision Hamlin believes was the right one.

"I really didn't do anything," Hamlin said. "Honestly, I gave [Keselowski] a brake check down the backstretch, but besides that I didn't do anything. My team guys wouldn't let me do anything -- that was kind of a bummer. The only thing I was trying to do in the garage and even on pit road was just box him in so I could get to him before his team guys got there. 

"I didn't ram into him on pit road or anything like that. If you watch, I just kept trying to box him in to where he couldn't go anywhere, and I talked to Brad and told him that. I don't regret anything and I really didn't feel like I did anything wrong. Obviously, from the penalties, NASCAR didn't feel like I did, either."

Hamlin indicated that he and Keselowski have communicated since the incident, but declined to divulge the nature of their dialogue.

"I'll keep it really kind of between us, but he knows where I stand, and I feel like once we get to Talladega here and we go racing, then things are going to be as if nothing happened last week," Hamlin said. "Have to be professional about it and you have to move on. There have been discussions -- quite a bit."

VIDEO: Denny Hamlin talks with FOX Sports 1's 'NASCAR Victory Lane' crew after winning at Talladega earlier this year

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