Luken Glover: It was nothing more than a heat-of-the-moment scenario. At that moment, Alex Bowman had been pressing Kyle Larson for the lead and had one of the fastest cars on track, and then they had a tight moment on pit road. However, Larson used the infamous aero-blocking on Bowman during the race to hang onto the lead, and I’m sure that created some frustration for Bowman. In Hamlin’s shoes, he’s trying to keep a driver collected and focused on what’s ahead, and sometimes that means getting direct with what you say. Bowman also seemed to have cooled off when pressed about it by Frontstretch after the race. Everything seems to be fine moving forward.

Austin Bass: Hamlin is a former driver. Every racer has a unique personality with a different approach to their craft and their code of ethics. Hamlin is no longer a driver, but his racer ethos bleeds into his current job as if he was still behind the wheel, which is distracting to Bowman both on and now off the track. A spotter’s role is much like that of a caddy in golf: provide information, context and support, and above all, be a calming presence. An ally, if you will. Can you imagine if a microphone picked up a caddy critiquing and criticizing their golfer during a tournament in such a manner? The type of discussion we heard should only be had behind closed doors. Airing dirty laundry is never good for team morale.