Denny Hamlin Calls Out NASCAR For Potential Bias
NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin has recently openly criticized the organization for what he perceives as a pattern of bias in the enforcement of penalties.
In the latest episode of his podcast “Actions Detrimental,” Hamlin commented on inconsistencies in NASCAR’s regulatory decisions, pointing specifically to instances where drivers like Chris Buescher, Brad Keselowski, and Ricky Stenhouse Jr. seemingly avoided penalties for modifying their cars during the Talladega race.
He explained:
“When you see Jeff Gluck and those guys really kind of getting agitated, this is what it is. It’s so inconsistent.
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“You have rules, and when you rule on one one-way, rule the same on the next. So, is it an accident the No. 6 and the No. 17 both had both pieces missing from their car post race? No, I don’t care what excuse anyone tries to give. It was clearly manipulated in some sort of way to distort, and when it distorted, it fell off.
“So, it’s just one of many, and it makes it hard to sit here and maintain a neutral opinion about it, because it just doesn’t make sense on why sometimes it’s a penalty, sometimes it’s not. It just depends on — it makes you believe that there’s bias in our series, and whether it’s true or not, that’s the perception, and sometimes perception is reality.”
Hamlin’s criticisms come on the heels of a severe penalty he faced earlier in the season, posing a significant challenge to his playoff standings. Despite this set back, Hamlin has managed to stay competitive, currently 30 points ahead as he heads into the decisive final race of the Round of 12 at the Charlotte Roval.
This comes after Hamlin’s team 23XI Racing, which he co-owns with NBA legend Michael Jordan and Chris Polk, filed a lawsuit against NASCAR along with Front Row Motorsports.
Hamlin commented on the lawsuit, as previously reported by Newsweek Sports:
“I didn’t realize until re-investing the money that I’ve made as a driver back into the sport to put on a show for Jim France and NASCAR, how unfair this whole system is.
“I didn’t realize they would exercise the power that they did in an unfair manner, in my opinion, and we just got to a tipping point where we all said, enough is enough and let’s exercise some options.”
He also commented in a press release from both teams:
“It’s actually pretty simple in my opinion. When I look around, I see that the best and most competitive sports in the world understand that when teams thrive, fans benefit, and that everyone who invests in making the sport a success should share fairly in that success. With the right changes, we can certainly make that a reality in racing.”
