Upset that he was following her too close during the second Budweiser Duel to qualify for Sunday’s Daytona 500, Danica Patrick confronted fellow driver Denny Hamlin.
Patrick was in eight place when her car spun out of control. Hamlin was directly behind her, but video showed he did not make contact. He also tweeted about the exchange later.
On the streets of real life cops always give the ticket to the car behind in a accident. We will use that logic on this one.#tooclose #mybad
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) February 20, 2015
Folks I watched it back and was in the drivers seat so I know.. I did NOT hit her. BUT I was close, too close obviously.
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) February 20, 2015
Here’s a full transcript of Patrick and Hamlin’s exchange.
Patrick: “You did the same f***ing thing in practice and this happened. You did the same thing.”
Hamlin: “I didn’t hit you. Honey, I did not touch you.”
Patrick: “You did the same thing.”
Hamlin: “I did not touch you.”
Patrick: “You get on my left-rear and it spins me out. You did the same thing.”
Hamlin: “You gotta tighten up it, Danica. Listen. Listen to me.”
Patrick: “Tighten what up? No one else do I have a problem with out there.”
Hamlin: “No one has your back like I have. Stop! Listen to me. I gave you an extra two feet…”
Patrick: “You gave me nothing. It spun my backend around.”
Hamlin: “I understand, but it’s because you’re loose. It’s not my fault if you’re loose, Danica.”
Patrick: “No else did it to me.”
Hamlin: “No one else is getting close to you. But, we have to get close to you to get you going forward. To get you going forward, I have to get close to you. I know it got you loose, but I didn’t hit you.”
Patrick: “You spun me out just like in practice.”
Hamlin: “I understand.”
Patrick: “When I looked in my rearview mirror and you were right here (gesturing with hands where Hamlin was positioned). You weren’t here, you were here.”
Hamlin: “Absolutely. You were loose entering the corner so you went up the race track…”
Patrick: “Denny. … It happened twice. The same person, the same way.”
Hamlin: “Guess what? I didn’t hit you either time.”
Patrick: “Well then you apparently don’t have to actually hit me. I like you Denny, you’re my friend. I don’t understand.”
Hamlin: “I know. I get it. But does that mean, ‘Oh my god, she’s loose I can’t run next to her?’ What should I do?”
Patrick: “It just means don’t be up my ass on my left corner in (a corner).”
Hamlin: “So don’t get close to you with three laps to go?”
Patrick: “You did it on the straightaway (during Wednesday practice) and you did it in a corner that time. Both times and the exact same result.”
Hamlin: “I just won’t get close to you. I understand now.”
Patrick: “You can get close. I’m sure everybody gets close. But you don’t need to turn me. That’s what it did.”
Hamlin (heavy sigh): “I know it did.”
Patrick: “All it did was get my backend tight and then it went around.”
Hamlin: “I totally get it, but it’s something you’ll have to work on.”
Patrick: “Are you doing it with every other car?”
Hamlin: “I pushed the 78 (Martin Truex Jr.) through the corner.”
Stewart (interjecting): “That’s two this week, bud.”
Hamlin: “Tony, I never touched her. I never touched her. What do you want me to do, not run close?”
Stewart: “You need to watch the video of it.”
Hamlin: “Do you not want me to run close? I mean come on, man.”
Patrick: “You don’t need to get so close it turns me.”
Hamlin: “I’m friends with you and her. Stop this shit, man.”
Patrick: “I like you, I just don’t understand.”
Stewart: “That ain’t going to fly when you’re crashing.”