Denny Hamlin: Martin Truex Jr. ‘hasn’t been at a JGR meeting in three years’

After the controversy at Richmond, many felt that the competition meeting between Denny Hamlin and Martin Truex Jr. would be awkward. Well, it wasn’t. The two NASCAR teammates didn’t even see each other.

Denny broke it all down with Dale Earnhardt Jr. this week. The two talked about the race at Richmond and all that happened. Of course, the controversy around Hamlin and the final restart was the big talking point.

There was also the outward emotion from Martin Truex Jr. after the checkered flag. That helped make it a bigger deal than it arguably was.

Dale Jr. asked about the Joe Gibbs Racing competition meeting. Hamlin answered quickly that Truex wasn’t there, he hasn’t been to an in-person meeting in years.

“Truex has not come to a JGR meeting in three years,” Hamlin said on the Dale Jr. Download.

As far as how Martin Truex Jr. is feeling, he’s more or less over it. The NASCAR Cup Series champion has been doing what he usually does, spending time outdoors.

“I didn’t think I did anything wrong to him. … I think it’s going to be alright, I think he’s getting the therapy he needs which is outdoors,” Hamlin continued. “He’s out in the woods or he’s fishing which that’s what he needs. I think he needed a night to sleep on it and get over it. I definitely understood and I empathize with him a little bit, because listen, rightfully so, you were upset for vast reasons and you deserved to be.”

Now that we are heading into the weekend at Martinsville, the Richmond talk can start to subside. Besides, The Paperclip is bound to ramp up tensions even more than they have been this season so far.

Martin Truex Jr. is not one to show a ton of emotion during or after a race. He might be at the bottom of the list of drivers most likely to fight. Most of the time, he keeps a level head. However, Richmond was just too much for him to ignore.

While it was bad enough he lost on Sunday, it was a continuation of a pattern. Six times in his career Truex has led 100 laps at Richmond and not won the race. That is hard to get over. So, it makes sense that Truex would be a bit upset after losing another one. This time he led more than 200 laps and came up short.