Denny Hamlin buries short-track feud with Logano after North Wilkesboro win

Denny Hamlin buried years of short-track bad blood with Joey Logano in a classy handshake after finishing second in the Window World 450 at North Wilkesboro Speedway on 18 Jun 2026.

What happened?

Joey Logano dominated the first Cup Series points race at the historic 0.625-mile oval in nearly 30 years. He led 323 of 450 laps and crossed the line 0.859 seconds clear of Hamlin. When Hamlin climbed out of his car, he skipped the hauler and walked straight to Logano. The two shook hands in front of the garage, a scene no one expected.

Hamlin told reporters Logano was “so good tonight” and praised his clean, dominant drive. “He maneuvered through traffic really well and did everything we’ve come to expect Joey to do,” Hamlin said. Logano’s crew chief Todd Gordon said his driver was “just dialed in all night.”

Why it matters for Denny Hamlin

The moment mattered because Hamlin and Logano own one of NASCAR’s most combustible rivalries. Short tracks have been the scene of almost every flare-up. At Bristol in 2013, Hamlin spun Logano on Lap 348 and called him a “little child” on social media. One week later at Fontana they collided on the final lap; Hamlin fractured a vertebra and Logano said he raced Hamlin exactly the way Hamlin raced him.

Six years later at Martinsville in 2019, Hamlin put Logano into the wall again. A civil post-race chat turned into a shove and another pit-road brawl. Logano’s crew chief was suspended for dragging Hamlin by his collar. Hamlin even mocked Logano in his interview: “He would probably say, yeah short-track racing.”

How Hamlin’s season shaped the moment

Hamlin entered North Wilkesboro with four wins and a 68-point lead over Tyler Reddick after clinching his Chase spot the week before at EchoPark Speedway. Championship rival Reddick suffered a broken toe-link in a mid-race pit-road collision and finished 30th. Hamlin now sits at 842 points, leading the standings with five regular-season races remaining.

“It’s such a big turnaround from where we were here last year,” Hamlin said. A year ago, second place behind a 323-lap leader would have stung. Now, with a commanding points lead and the playoff locked in, it was simply a good day. There was no desperation, no score to settle.

What comes next?

Hamlin’s next stop is a 22 Jun race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He’ll carry a 68-point cushion into the final stretch of the regular season. Logano, meanwhile, will chase wins to bolster his own playoff hopes. The handshake at North Wilkesboro won’t erase the past, but it showed both veterans can rise above it when the moment demands.