Mind of Montgomery

A NASCAR BLOG BY Lee Montgomery

Keselowski took a higher road than Hamlin

May 25
CONCORD, N.C. – I wrote a column a couple years ago talking about how mature Denny Hamlin was when he won at Pocono Raceway, especially when veterans like Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards were acting like, well, rookies.
 
Can I take that back?
 
Hamlin and young Brad Keselowski got into it during the Carquest Auto Parts 300 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, but guess who acted like the veteran. No, not Hamlin.
 
Frankly, I was a little embarrassed by Hamlin and his actions in the postrace press conference. Hamlin was talking about the incident – where he and Keselowski exchanged bumps under caution – with Keselowski sitting one chair over.
 
With the things Hamlin said, I kept wondering if he knew Keselowski was sitting there. He was rude, condescending and, well, acting like a word I can’t use.
 
Keselowski, meanwhile, stated his case, didn’t back down and took the high road. Good for him.
 
Will the two kiss and make up, as it were? Part of me hopes not. A little drama isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
 
We haven’t seen the last of this, I hope.

Average Rating: 5.0

Comments

23 responses to "Keselowski took a higher road than Hamlin"
  1. 1
    Chris Pontiff said:
    May 25, 2008 at 1:47 PM

    yea real MATURE, send your entire crew over there to jump all over Denny

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  2. 2
    Bill Stevens said:
    May 25, 2008 at 2:35 PM

    Chris, Brad didn't send anyone over the fence. The crew saw what Hamlin did and were pretty upset at what he did.

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  3. 3
    Chris Pontiff said:
    May 25, 2008 at 4:07 PM

    don't get me wrong i'm not saying what Denny did was right but the crews should stay out of it...it was obviously something between drivers

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  4. 4
    Timothy Schultze said:
    May 25, 2008 at 7:47 PM

    I find it very hard to believe that ANYONE can agree with the actions or statements of Denny Hamlin. This is not the only instance or situation like this that Denny has been involved in and that's fine but think before you open your mouth. Denny could have been the "BIGGER PERSON " by instead of trying to cause damage going and talking to him when it was over but instead it makes him look like the biggest jerk in the garage.

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  5. 5
    Worm Dirt said:
    May 25, 2008 at 10:40 PM

    Alright..... let me try and follow your logic here Timothy and Lee..... Brad antagonizes Denny under caution by tapping his bumper ......Denny then retaliates by almost putting the instigator, Brad, in the wall and taking off his fender.....and that makes Denny Hamlin a "jerk" or a bad person you say?????? What's HILARIOUS is that by your VERY OWN shallow logic, you are saying that the almighty Dale Earnhardt Junior himself is a DIRTY driver and takes the LOW-ROAD or is a jerk or a bad person!!!!...... I mean am i missing something??? Junior reacted to what Denny did just like Denny reacted to what Brad did. To me it's a case of drivers being drivers in a sport that requires aggression to be effective (i mean on the track of course and.. NOT at selling people things they don't need). Whatever.......

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  6. 6
    kristy fristed said:
    May 26, 2008 at 5:57 PM

    I dont see Brad on his radio telling those guys to get into a fight. Its not the first time the pit crew, or the last, has gotten involved over something that happened on the track. I dont think that Denny took the higher road. He wanted Brad to move out of the way for him. Brad had a better car, and Denny wanted brad to just give him some room in the closing laps. They all wanted to win. Under caution, you see guys often show their dipleasure with oneanother by tapping them in the back. But they dont go as low as ramming them in retaliation. Denny being the more experienced driver, should be the one to put it off and discuss it later. Wasnt like Brad wrecked him, or did anything that many others do often. Denny should keep some of his opinions to himself, it only makes him look worse. Listening to him after the race, all I could do was laugh at him!!

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  7. 7
    Kathy Issendorf said:
    May 27, 2008 at 3:01 PM

    Hamlin is about the same as Kyle Busch - not quite as completely obnoxious and self-absorbed, but hardly anyone is - NO ONE is supposed to touch him, but don't get in his way.

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  8. 8
    Michelle Appleton said:
    May 27, 2008 at 9:19 PM

    Hamlin's starting to sound like Mark Martin, you are supposed to move over and give them the position when you see them in the mirror. That's not racing - earn your position every lap! I agree with Jimmy Spencer and Kenny Wallace on RaceDay -get out there and be competitive and fight for the grocery money - the way race fans want to see it done, this is not about being polite. Be men and race for the win! And the 88 crew had every right to be mad and want a piece of Hamlin - he sure took a piece of Brad's car - their car that they worked on for weeks and all during the race-there wasn't any damage on Hamlin's car. Denny needs to remember that 4 short years ago he was a fan in the stands and he has still is no veteran-everyone makes heated angry mistakes - especially when they are hungry for their first checkered flag.

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  9. 9
    Juniegirl said:
    May 28, 2008 at 5:53 AM

    NASCAR should have penalized Hamlin for slamming Keselowski. Hamlin stopped in front of Brad to start with. That's why Brad bumped him from behind. Then he slammed Brad to make sure he didn't win the race. He didn't have to damage the 88 car like that. That is why Jr. then bumped Hamlin. He bumped him but didn't damage the 11. Hamlin is a legend in his own mind.

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  10. 10
    Mark O'Brien said:
    May 28, 2008 at 6:52 AM

    Can't believe Jr. Fans, Maybe Jr. and Brad should park there car in the first lap so they won't have damage. The real person to be penalized is Jr. He passed a car under caution and hit another car that he had nothing to do with, and then his crew to come over there and build a lake at Denny's pit nice move. Lets not forget him wrecking edwards at michigan 2 years ago that was cool, and then Mark Martin this year at vegas it wasn't tearing up equipment that was the problem it was pride b/c they can't win they get it handed to them every week by JGR that what the real issue is.

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  11. 11
    Mark O'Brien said:
    May 28, 2008 at 7:09 AM

    Oh yea Jr Nation, I can't quite figure out why some many of you say well are bellyaching, it seem to me that you are. Next were Jealous b/c he's NASCAR most popular driver. Well what has he done to deserve it???? Nothing his father built that for him. His move to Hendrick and Merger of JR motorspror with them i thought would be a good move. Wrong all it did was put the Whinning and bellyaching like the rest of the Hendrick drivers. (You all know that is true ex. Jeff Gordon) but mostly is the frustration that has set in b/c he's not winning.

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  12. 12
    Mark O'Brien said:
    May 28, 2008 at 7:15 AM

    If you read last week Scene you will also find an article on Brad getting put down by Jr. thinking that Brad is getting cocky now. So don't blame this all on Denny maybe those few inches was what could have keep both of them from wrecking. For Michele that posted about Kenny Wallace and Jimmy Spencer. They have no clue what they are talking about. They are put there to make people watch and if they downplayed JR. well you know what would happened. But you are on to something they are on there b/c they never had carrers.

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  13. 13
    Kris Leonia said:
    May 28, 2008 at 8:25 AM

    Denny needs to realize that in racing with the laps winding down everyone will be going all out. If he doesn't like that his car wasn't good enough to win and Brad was trying to pass him aggressively then he's in the wrong sport. Brad didn't try to put Denny in the wall or get him to spin out. He just raced him hard and their cars never touched under green. But Denny obviously felt that since he is a "veteran cup driver" that Brad should have just backed off and let Denny keep his spot without trying to pass him. Give me a break. He needs a reality check and he needs it now.

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  14. 14
    Mark O'Brien said:
    May 28, 2008 at 9:12 AM

    Read last weeks Scene there a nice article in there about Brad bening more honoree. That it take a few years before you go around doning that. Oh yea that was a direct quote form his Boss Dale Jr.

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  15. 15
    Chris Pontiff said:
    May 28, 2008 at 5:31 PM

    I love the fact Keselowski's team got fined and not Hamlin's. Go JGR

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  16. 16
    Sherry BROUGHTON said:
    May 28, 2008 at 7:26 PM

    I was at the race, from where I sat I saw KB slow down, Hamlin did the same as to not run into KB, BK did not see that DH slowed so much, therefore hitting in the rear, Jr, pulled along side of DH only to ask what he thought he was doing? Nascar cannot penalize any Toyota driver, Toyota has paid for the championship and therefore penalties are not part of the deal.

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  17. 17
    Chris Pontiff said:
    May 29, 2008 at 11:30 AM

    haha toyota has paid for the championship? come on, that is the stupidest thing i have ever heard.

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  18. 18
    Carolyn Ward said:
    May 29, 2008 at 3:16 PM

    Denny Hamlin needs an attitude ajustment. Just because he has won a few races makes him a genius as to where and how Brad Keselowski, and four time champion, Jeff Gordon can run on the race track, I think not. Denny has become a stuffed shirt jerk. With his little success, it's gone to his head and he has forgotten where he came from and how he got his start. Maybe someone will give him that ajustment soon. He and Kyle Busch need to realize that there are 41 other drivers on the track as well that has the right to win the race.

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  19. 19
    Jacki Stevens said:
    May 30, 2008 at 6:23 AM

    It would seem to me that there are a couple of young drivers that just NOT TOO long ago were rookies themselves. They now think they are seasoned race veterans. Both have issues for SOME reason with the rookie in the 88 car. I smell a rat. Both act like everyone needs to move on over and let them thru to the front, and NOT heaven forbid race them. Both come from the same racing team.........hmmm. I did notice one thing during Denny's post race commentary. It would seem that Brad bumped his car, giving him cause to rataliate. Noticeably ABSENT was any comment on Jr's reaction on the track.....to drive up and give ol' Denny a tunk on the rear end!! (GO JR!!) What's up with that??? TIME TO GROW UP, Kyle and Denny.

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  20. 20
    Jacki Stevens said:
    May 30, 2008 at 6:33 AM

    And for those of you that actually think that Brad SENT his crew over to Denny's pit stall???? OH PLUUUEASE. I thought it extremely humorous that everyone after the race was more interested in the fuss on pit road than the winner of the race.

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  21. 21
    Kris Leonia said:
    May 30, 2008 at 8:30 AM

    The problem I think is that both found success at such a young age that they feel they are on top of the world. The next coming of drivers to be feared on the track and will race how they wanna race. The problem there is.... no one else sees it that way. D even said in his postrace he was "upset at how aggressively he was racing me". No kidding sherlock! Theres 9 laps to go! What do you want him to do... lay off and let you keep your spot?? Give me a break. What goes around, comes around thats for sure in this sport. He'll have his day of whining.

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  22. 22
    Richard Swank said:
    May 30, 2008 at 11:09 AM

    I would comment on Mark O'Brien's comments but his spelling and grammar are so atrocious it makes it almost impossible to read and comprehend.

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  23. 23
    Carolyn Ward said:
    May 30, 2008 at 4:18 PM

    AMEN, Brother Richard, some people spue off and don't have a clue.

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