Denny Hamlin wasn't happy with Darrell Wallace Jr.'s quip following their postrace Daytona 500 wreck Sunday night, and he appears to be losing the battle for public opinion.
The NASCAR Cup veteran tweeted Tuesday night his explanation of what happened and why he and Wallace got into a brief shouting match -- video has appeared on social media -- as they crossed paths when Hamlin was leaving the Daytona International Speedway media center and Wallace was headed inside.
After the crash, Wallace said in a television interview: "He might need to take some Adderall for that one," referring to Hamlin's comments last week on a Barstool Sports podcast that 70 percent of drivers take medication to help focus -- a statement that Hamlin later said was a joke.
Wallace, a rookie, had finished second and Hamlin placed third as they banged doors racing side-by-side coming to the checkered flag. Hamlin said on his in-car radio to his team immediately after the wreck (and before Wallace's comments) that his tire had been cut down, and repeated that Sunday when asked about Wallace's comments.
Hamlin went to Twitter on Tuesday to explain:
Let me clue the idiots on Twitter what I was pissed off about. I had no issue with how the race ended. I was minding my own business on the bottom of the track and out of the blue I get ran into, my tire blown, and perfectly straight car destroyed. I'm good with all that.
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) February 20, 2018
Anyone who wouldn't take offense to the stupid things that was said has absolutely no backbone. I have one
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) February 20, 2018
Wallace said after the race Sunday that he was skeptical of Hamlin's explanation.
"If that happened, OK, so be it, but it just seems like he got off of me a little bit and then turned back into me," Wallace said Sunday night. "I know the cars drive crazy and whatnot and they're a handful, but it just didn't seem like that right away, but it was tough to see from that angle anyways.
"Who knows? We're both pissed off at each other. But we're racers. We're competitive, and we'll go into Atlanta and be fine."
Hamlin and Wallace both share the same agent, and Wallace has participated in Hamlin's recreational basketball and golf leagues.
"I might be kicked out of the basketball league, but whatever," Wallace said. "And golf league, too."