Denny Hamlin faces boos after Bristol win, NASCAR star delivers terse response

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Denny Hamlin picked up his third win of the 2023 NASCAR season on Saturday night under the lights at Bristol Motor Speedway and catapulted himself into the next round of the playoffs.

Hamlin finished in second last week at Kansas and had a good angle to get to the next round but a victory in Tennessee would leave no question about his standing.

But it didn’t change the minds of fans who booed him as he exited his car.

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Denny Hamlin celebrates after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sept. 16, 2023 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)

"Hey, I beat your favorite driver," Hamlin said. "… All of them."

Hamlin enters the next round of the playoffs in third place behind William Byron and Martin Truex Jr. Hamlin has never won a NASCAR Cup Series title despite having three wins in the Daytona 500 and a victory at the Coca-Cola 600 in his career.

The focus now will be to buckle up and make sure he can put himself into the Championship Four by the time fall is in full swing.

Denny Hamlin celebrates his victory in the NASCAR Cup Series auto race Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Bristol, Tennessee. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

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The Round of 12 will also feature Kyle Larson, Chris Buescher, Kyle Busch, Christopher Bell, Tyler Reddick, Ross Chastain, Brad Keselowski, Ryan Blaney and Bubba Wallace. The last four drivers start on the bubble as the next round will feature only eight drivers.

Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Ricky Stenhouse Jr.