Hamlin on Keselowski: "He is just a complete moron''

The feud between Denny Hamlin and Brad Keselowski continued Saturday at Phoenix, taking some of the spotlight away from Kyle Busch needing only to start next week at Homestead to clinch the series title. (UPDATED WITH BRAD KESELWOSKI QUOTES AFTER MEETING WITH NASCAR OFFICIALS AT BOTTOM)

Hamlin and Keselowski have had numerous incidents on the track since last year in the Nationwide series. Keselowski's aggressive driving also has ruffled other drivers. Keselowski has not apologized for his driving style.

Saturday, Hamlin and Keselowksi got into it again. Hamlin said he got into Keselowski in the center of turns 1 and 2 and Keselowski returned the favor. Then what appeared to be a second hit from Keselowski, Hamlin spun. "He spun us,'' Hamlin said.

After the race, this is what Hamlin said:

"I'm just happy that I signed up for next week's Nationwide race,'' Hamlin said. "There's a lot of guys that owe him. There's a lot of guys that have a lot of chips that they're going to cash in. I'm just going to be the first to the pay window.''

Keselowski met with Joe Balash, Nationwide series director afterward. Hamlin said he  heard about the discussion and returned to the Nationwide garage to talk to Keselowski and NASCAR. "I heard he was talking to Balash, I said I wanted to get in on this conversation,'' Hamlin said.

Of how the conversation wtih Keselowski went, Hamlin said: "He said, OK, I'm not mad. OK I'm not mad. I said, alright, I just want  you to know when I wreck you don't be mad. We still won't be even, but I'm just. I told Balash, "You know what I have to do. He said I totally understand.' There you go.

Hamlin said Balash told him that NASCAR will sit Keselowski down "that his head is just out of control. That's what they said,'' Hamlin stated. "I don't know. Whatever. Can't wait. Next week.

On what he said to Keselowski, Hamlin said: "I'm telling you, I could talk to this (expletive deleted) concrete right here and it would talk back more to me than what he did. He is just a complete moron. I just wanted to say, Hey look, you wrecked me at Watkins Glen last year, you wrecked me at Dover this year, you forced me into the three-wide wreck at California. I said how many times have I wrecked you? Zero. Never have I wrecked you. Until  I get back in a Nationwide car.

"it's a self-policing garage. OK. NASCAR doesn't want to get in the middle. They don't need to be in the middle of it.  They don't need to. I said, if it's the opinion of me or one other guy, then, hey, maybe it's me. But every driver in the garage that comes up to me, says That guy is a complete whack job. Not everyone is wrong and he's right. The thing is I asked him, he says, "Well what do you want me to say? I says, You don't want to say your sorry or nothing? It's cool. You would think that's the way he races. He says: I'm cool.' All right, we're cool then.'

Hamlin was then asked by a reporter: He said we got into a pushing match. He did it to me and I could save it. I did it back. I guess he couldn't save it:

Hamlin's response: "Let me tell you something. The one thing he ain't got is more talent then me.''

Joe Balash, Nationwide series director, told Scenedaily.com that he would not approve retaliation.

"Race drivers, in the heat of battle, say a lot of things,'' Balash told Scenedaily.com. "We had a conversation. A lot of things were said. There will be a whole different scenario when we get to the race track next week. We've got a whole week to manage the expectations of next week. You never condone retaliation.''

Sunday morning, Brad Keselowski was called into the NASCAR hauler and met with President Mike Helton, Robin Pemberton, VP of competition and Joe Balash, Nationwide series director. Meeting lasted about 20 minutes. After coming out of the hauler, Keselowski did speak to reporters.

Here's what Keselowski said:

(On the meeting with NASCAR)

KESELOWSKI: "We just had a ham sandwich. It went real well. That’s probably been the most impressed I’ve ever been with NASCAR, I honestly will say that. I’m not brainwashed in saying that, either. I really respect the fact that Brian France walked in there. That meant a lot to me. It’s really the first time I’ve ever had a conversation with him. I think that’s a good sign for the sport that he was involved in that conversation. I think the biggest, without talking about things that were talked about privately, I think the biggest message was, because I don’t want you guys to speculate on, was just trying to pick and choose who you want to be your friends and enemies in the sport and making sure that I understood that process, what it takes to make it at this level and how you’re going to need friends down the line and make sure that you don’t alienate everybody but at the same time to not give up on being a hard charger.

"I think that was the basic tone of the conversation, of just trying to figure out what it takes to be successful at this level. I certainly don’t feel like I have all the answers but I’m doing the best I can and will welcome any of the advice I can get.

(Do u have to change your driving style?)

KESELOWSKI: "Do I have to? You’re always changing your style, you’re always progressing as a driver. Do I need to do things better, yeah all the time. Is that specific to being aggressive? Sometimes, soemtimes not. Being aggressive is what got me here. Nobody has handed me anything in my career. I’ve dug and clawed for everything I’ve got and the only way to do that is by being aggressive. So that’s not to say I need to be aggressive every race. No. There’s races where you need to play it cool and be smart. So it’s just trying to learn that timing and learning who you need to be your friends and who you can accept as being your enemies no matter what you do.

(Do u need to talk to denny?)

KESELOWSKI: "I don’t really want to engage that. I’m quite satisfied with my own role in the sport as it is with the other drivers. So I don’t feel the need to engage that situation.

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