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Kevin Harvick on Denny Hamlin: ‘Sometimes you’ve got to keep your mouth shut’

Daytona International Speedway - Media Day

DAYTONA BEACH, FL - FEBRUARY 14: Kevin Harvick, driver of the #4 Jimmy John’s Ford, talks to the media during the Daytona 500 Media Day at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 2018 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

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Kevin Harvick said drivers are mad at Denny Hamlin for jokingly statingon a podcast that 70 percent of them take Adderall.

The comment has created a firestorm for Hamlin, who later recanted what he said on the Barstool Sports podcast. Daytona 500 runner-up Darrell Wallace Jr., involved in an incident with Hamlin after the checkered flag, told Fox that Hamlin “might need to take some Adderall for that one.’’

After the race, Hamlin and Wallace had a heated exchange in the garage that was captured by a fan and posted on social media.
“He was upset with me over the comments I made about something he was joking about, which shouldn’t have been joked about,’’ Wallace told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on Tuesday morning.

Harvick said Tuesday night on his SiriusXM show “Happy Hours” that Hamlin has caused an uproar in the garage.

“Those 70 percent of drivers he referred to are mad because of the fact that you’re the guy sitting in the trailer doing the drug testing 10 or 12 times a year from a random standpoint and understanding the things you can and can’t do,’’ Harvick said. “Whether he thinks it was an off-the-cuff comment and something he meantto say or not to say, it still offended most everybody in the garage.

“If you’re going to play around, joking and think it’s not something that everybody is going to take offense to … I think he’s probably seeing that nobody really appreciated it and it put everybody in a bad spot.’’

Harvick said Hamlin’s comment “made him seem kind of out of touch with everything that is going on in the sport. Not a very cool comment.’’

Hamlin went on Twitter on Tuesday night defend himself, saying the last-lap contact with Wallace happened because Wallace cut his right front tire and it sent Hamlin’s car into Wallace’s car. Hamlin also stated he did not like Wallace making personal comments about him in regard to the Adderall line.

Harvick said on his SiriusXM show that Hamlin should be quiet.

“Obviously Denny has got himself into a few spots in the past little bit,’’ Harvick said. “We don’t even need to go much further than that. You can look back at Martinsville and look at the couple of instances he had during Speedweeks.

“Sometimes it’s better not to go on rants on Twitter and defend yourself, and sometimes you just need to quit talking and this is definitely, probably one of those instances. I would call it an edgy interview source where all this came from. Sometimes you’ve got to keep your mouth shut.’’

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