If Denny Hamlin ultimately advances into the second round of the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs by one point, he can thank BJ McLeod for a decision made on the final lap on Sunday at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Hamlin was running inside the top-20 when he was collected in a crash that started with Ross Chastain and Bubba Wallace and also involved fellow playoff contender Harrison Burton.
The Joe Gibbs No. 11 was not destroyed in the crash and kept rolling but was passed by McLeod for 25th. But McLeod slowed so Hamlin could repass and get the one point that wasn’t important whatsoever to the part-time Live Fast Motorsports No. 78 car.
“BJ gave me a solid lift off the gas,” Hamlin said.
Hamlin detailed a recent story of mutual respect between the two racers on Monday during an episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast.
“This is where I talked about many years ago that there is a deposit and withdrawal that you have with your competitors,” Hamlin said. “And I definitely ended up getting a withdrawal from BJ because he actually pulled me aside after practice… [BJ] said, ‘Hey man, I haven’t talked to you a whole lot but then you know I just want to thank you for what you do for me on these superspeedways, you know, you pushed me to the lead at Talladega a few years back.’ I think it was last year. And he was like, ‘That’s a big, big deal for me and my team.’
“Then there was one time, where he was kind of getting strung off the back of the pack. Instead of passing him like we all would, and then he just falls off and goes laps down, I just got behind him, pushed him back up to the back of the pack. And he’s like, ‘You know, I just want to say thank you, and I appreciate that. If there’s anything I can ever do for you, just let me know.’”
Well, Hamlin didn’t have to ask as McLeod immediately saw a chance to do something in that moment.