NASCAR star Denny Hamlin explains 'finger out the window' moment in Carson Hocevar battle

Denny Hamlin has opened up on an on-track battle with Carson Hocevar on Sunday at North Wilkesboro, admitting he would've let the Spire Motorsports star past him in a different situation.

The pair battled hard at the end of the first stage, with Hamlin pushing hard to keep the faster car behind him coming to the green and white chequered flag.

The No. 11 car succeeded, taking fourth in the stage and keeping good track position for the start of the second stage, with Hamlin discussing the battle on his Actions Detrimental podcast on Monday.

The pair did make contact once in the exchange, something Hamlin called a 'slip-up' from the infamously aggressive young driver rather than a deliberate shove, which was fixed with 'the old finger out the window' – which he helpfully demonstrated as a wagging index finger, not the more traditional middle digit.

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Hamlin explains Hocevar battle

“We wanted to stay aggressive with our track position," Hamlin explained, "and it was a net gain for us. It was a battle. I was doing everything I could to hold all the track position. I’m sure Carson Hocevar was frustrated getting stuck behind me.

“I just want to make sure I run my line. I knew it was going to be tough. Any other time in the race, I certainly would’ve let him go, but I had to hold that track position because I knew the end of the stage was coming.

“If it was an infinite run when we don’t know when the caution was coming, I certainly would’ve let him go.”

Hamlin: I gave him the old finger out the window

“We raced hard. There was one time… He really tries to slide guys a ton. He goes in there and just overdrives and then uses his right rear to move you up.

“So I know that tendency. I planned for it and drove accordingly, so I wanted to make sure I wouldn’t drive in really deep to not let him ever clear.

“There was one time, he slipped up and got into the side, and I gave him the old finger out the window, ‘No, no, no, don’t do that'. From there on out, we didn’t make contact again.”