Chris Buescher clarifies Denny Hamlin comment, perceived shade at Kyle Larson after photo finish

“As much (s— emoji) as you might get @dennyhamlin, you’ve always raced me clean,” Buescher posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Great battle today.”

Afterwards, many interpreted Buescher’s praise for Hamlin as a shot at Larson, who banged doors with Buesscher on the way to the finish line. The No. 17 driver was quick to clear up any confusion though, letting the world know there’s no issues between the two.

“To be clear for y’all… no shade at @KyleLarsonRacin,” Buescher clarified. “We were banging doors all the way to the checkered. He’s one heck of a racer, and that was just two drivers going for the trophy (thumbs-up emoji).”

Nevertheless, Chris Buescher certainly would’ve been happier with a win, than being the second-place car in the closest finish NASCAR has ever seen. His next win seems to be on the horizon, sooner rather than later, but the result from Kansas will certainly sting for awhile.

Chris Buescher draws hilarious Lightning McQueen comparison after close finish at Kansas

Alas, Chris Buescher suffered some heartbreak at Kansas Speedway on Sunday, by virtue of the closest finish in Cup Series history.

They say second place is the first loser, and Buescher certainly feels that agony at the moment. The No. 17 was 0.001 seconds away from his first win of the season, but Kyle Larson bested him in an incredible moment. Larson and Buescher were beating and banging on their way to the line, and the No. 5 got the win.

At least Buescher had a sense of humor about the entire thing though. Afterwards, he took to X (formerly known as Twitter), where he made a reference to Lightning McQueen of the Carsfranchise, making a lighthearted quip about the photo-finish.

“Guess I should’ve pulled a Lightning McQueen and stuck out my tongue,” Buescher posted on X, referencing the famous scene from the Cars franchise.

Alas, the joke stems from a photo of Lightning McQueen, the main character of the Cars franchise, capturing a win in a similar photo-finish by sticking out his tongue. The scene was referenced earlier this season as well, when the three-wide finish took place at Atlanta, where Daniel Suarez was victorious. 

Nevertheless, Chris Buescher is a good sport about coming so close and being the runner up, but that doesn’t mean he’s not sore about the finish as we move forward. The No. 17 is still looking for his first win in 2024, while Kyle Larson continues to accumulate trophies.