---
title: "Wild NASCAR Playoff Race Ends with Angry Fan Trying to Fight Denny Hamlin"
description: "Denny Hamlin spun race leader Chase Elliott into a wall, leading to several heated post-race altercations."
date: "2017-10-30"
modified: "2017-10-30"
authors:
  - name: "Brian Beers"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/brian-beers"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/article/15587/wild-nascar-playoff-race-ends-with-angry-fan-trying-to-fight-denny-hamlin"
categories:
  - "News"
tags:
  - "Denny Hamlin"
  - "Racing News"
---

# Wild NASCAR Playoff Race Ends with Angry Fan Trying to Fight Denny Hamlin

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2017/10/screen-shot-2017-10-30-at-10-51-23-am.png>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

It was a wild scene in Martinsville for [Sunday night's NASCAR Playoff Series](<https://www.nascar.com/results/race_center/monster-energy-nascar-cup-series/first-data-500/stn/race/>) as Denny Hamlin bumped race leader Chase Elliott into a wall with only three laps to go.

In a race filled with cautions, Kyle Busch ended up winning after an overtime restart where he pulled ahead of Hamlin in the final moments as a massive wreck broke out down the front stretch behind the leaders.

https://twitter.com/_/status/924773465240080384

After the race, things got a bit feisty between Hamlin and Elliott. Down the backstretch, Elliott steered his car into Hamlin's before the two drivers angrily exchanged words right out on the track.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba2YGkrjn4U

While tensions between the two drivers seemed to calm a bit, the scene got even stranger as a frustrated fan got within a few feet of Hamlin in pit row trying to pick a fight. The fan was seen screaming and berating the driver before a member of Hamlin's crew and security appeared to push back the angry fan and break up the altercation.

https://twitter.com/_/status/924775415620755456

Shortly after all of the post-race shenanigans were finished, Hamlin sent out a message on social media apologizing to Elliott and his fans for the spin.

https://twitter.com/_/status/924792019309998080

Hamlin said that the move was not intentional, called it a life lesson, and hoped to get past it.

The race pushed both Hamlin and Elliott to the bottom of the [Round of 8 playoff standings](<https://www.nascar.com/standings/monster-energy-nascar-cup-series>). Following the completion of this playoff round, the top four drivers will race head-to-head at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November for the title.

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