Veteran NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin is once again speaking out—this time, not just on behalf of himself or fellow drivers, but for the fans who he believes are being misled by the sport’s leadership.
On his weekly podcast, Actions Detrimental, Hamlin took direct aim at recent comments made by NASCAR’s Vice President of Competition, Elton Sawyer, and raised concerns about how the sport communicates with its audience.
Hamlin pointed to what he views as a growing disconnect between fans and NASCAR decision-makers. The core of the issue, he argued, lies in NASCAR’s insistence that the racing product—particularly at superspeedway tracks like Talladega—is in good shape, despite growing dissatisfaction among both fans and drivers.
According to Hamlin, NASCAR is ignoring the true nature of the racing and instead relying on selective statistics to paint a more favorable picture.
Last week, Sawyer appeared on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and questioned the negative reaction to the Talladega race. He emphasized that the event featured 67 lead changes, implying that such stats were evidence of competitive, entertaining racing. He also noted that much of the race involved fuel-saving strategies, which some fans found underwhelming.
Hamlin, however, wasn’t convinced. He criticized Sawyer’s comments, suggesting they failed to address the real concerns fans and drivers have voiced repeatedly. “When someone in that position goes on air and says, ‘I don’t understand what the problem is,’ it undermines the credibility of the entire competition department,” Hamlin said. “Fans feel like their concerns are being brushed aside.”
While Hamlin did commend NASCAR’s attempts to be transparent—particularly through their weekly radio appearances to explain decisions—he emphasized that simply communicating isn’t enough if the message disregards longstanding feedback.
“For years, we’ve said there’s a problem with the superspeedway package,” Hamlin said. “It hasn’t been addressed, and now it feels like they’re just spinning stats to make things seem better than they are.”
This isn’t the first time Hamlin has clashed with NASCAR officials, but his comments underscore an increasingly vocal frustration with how the sport is run. The rift seems to highlight a deeper issue: fans and drivers want meaningful changes, while leadership insists that the current state of competition is acceptable. As the debate continues, Hamlin remains a prominent voice calling for honesty and reform—urging NASCAR to listen before the disconnect grows any deeper.
