It all began when Hamlin took aim at Busch’s form on his Actions Detrimental podcast. “If you’re expecting Kyle Busch to just go back to victory lane, you’re going to be very disappointed,” Hamlin said, questioning the two-time champion’s current trajectory. That didn’t sit well with Kyle Busch, who fired back, turning it into a full-blown war of words. And now, this feud has taken a new twist, with a NASCAR executive publicly calling out Denny Hamlin over what appears to be a case of selective outrage.

NASCAR executive turns the tables on Denny Hamlin

The latest twist in the feud came not from Kyle Busch, but from inside NASCAR itself. After Kyle Busch pushed back on his comments, Denny Hamlin attempted to clarify his stance, writing: “Pretty sure I said I have no idea because im not his Cc, engineer, team owner etc..”

That’s when Mike Forde stepped in with a pointed, almost sarcastic response: “Being misrepresented must be the WORST. #Bots.” It appeared to be a straightforward jab at first. However, the moment was much more nuanced because of the background.

If you remember, Hamlin has previously also seen circumstances involving “misrepresentation.” Denny Hamlin had publicly denounced an ESPN piece that tried to clarify the situation during the contentious lawsuit period last year. He didn’t hold back either, referring to it as propaganda and even involving Forde.

“Please give credit to @mforde [Mike Forde, NASCAR’s managing director of communications] for helping you write this propaganda piece that they want pushed to switch the narrative,” Hamlin had written in response to Ryan McGee. At the time, Forde had pushed back, suggesting Hamlin was stretching the interpretation without fully understanding the piece.

Fast forward to now, and the roles appear reversed. Hamlin finds himself arguing that his comments about Kyle Busch were taken out of context. On the other hand, Forde highlights the irony with a single line and a hashtag referencing past “bots” controversy. It’s a full-circle moment that adds another layer to an already heated driver feud. And in a sport where words travel just as fast as cars, even a small misunderstanding can quickly turn into a public showdown.

The “bots” saga that refuses to go away

The aftermath of the tumultuous Round of Eight race at Martinsville Speedway in November 2024 is where the now-famous “bots” controversy began. Although there was much discussion regarding the NASCAR Playoffs format following that conclusion, Denny Hamlin’s remark was what really got things going.

During an episode of Actions Detrimental, Hamlin shared a behind-the-scenes conversation with Mike Forde:

“I talked to Mike Forde a little bit last night, NASCAR comms. I said, ‘Man, I mean, you got this format getting hammered on the net.’ and he’s like, ‘it’s it’s bots. It’s not real people.’ And so I said, okay, I mean, you can you can turn a blind eye if you want and you can be in denial. But numbers don’t lie, numbers never lie.”

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR