Pit This Time may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never affects our coverage. Learn more.
Rick Hendrick admits the championship Snickers photo was his idea. He just doesn’t think he started it.
Asked on the red carpet at the NASCAR Awards whether he was the instigator, after Kyle Larson revealed it was “Mr. H’s” idea, Hendrick pointed the finger right back at Denny Hamlin.
“No, I’m not,” Hendrick said. “Denny was the instigator. Hey, we’re good buddies.”
‘I’ve Been Waiting’
Hendrick said he had been holding onto Hamlin’s July comments for months.
“He’ll call me and say, is that you on the lake? And I took him for a ride one day and he didn’t want to ride with me anymore. No, but hey, everybody needs a little motivation,” Hendrick said.
“And when I saw that podcast and he said, hey, feeling bad for those guys, they just need a Snickers.
“I’ve been waiting. All in good fun. But no, I love all the guys in the garage. We have a great relationship. So I like to have fun every now and then. Poking at each other.”
https://x.com/TeamHendrick/status/2119649508648689920
Larson: ‘I Know It Pissed Him Off’
After Larson clinched his third title, he, crew chief Cliff Daniels, Hendrick and vice chairman Jeff Gordon posed with the trophy and Snickers bars in their mouths. Larson said Hendrick keeps a close eye on what’s said about his team.
“I mean, hopefully he takes it in fun,” Larson said. “I think that’s what it was meant to be.
“I totally like forgot about those comments, but, Rick, he’s on TikTok and all social media. So, anything that’s said about Hendrick Motorsports, he sees, and he takes it to heart.
“I know it pissed him off. But you know, it was cool for us to have the Chase that we did and get to poke some fun back at it.”
Where It Started
On his Actions Detrimental podcast in July, after the Brickyard 400, Hamlin said Hendrick’s struggles were drawing fans’ criticism and that “they need to have a Snickers. They have not been their self in a while.” At the time, Hendrick had two wins on the season, both by Chase Elliott.
Hamlin has since said Hendrick missed his point, and that he was defending the team from the trolls. “Did they know I was picking their side?” he said. He also said Hendrick “sounds like he’s defensive.”
Larson’s title was Hendrick’s 16th Cup championship.
Leave a Reply