Denny Hamlin expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of proper maintenance of race tracks by Speedway Motorsports Inc. (SMI). Prior to a weekend of three races, it was revealed that the asphalt in Sonoma was deteriorating. In response, Denny Hamlin of Joe Gibbs Racing criticized the circuit owners for their lack of funding for essential maintenance tasks. This sparked a negative reaction from Marcus Smith, president of Speedway Motorsports Inc.
The dispute began when Denny Hamlin took to social media platform X and shared a Reddit post showing the poor condition of the Sonoma track. He commented: “When budget asphalt goes wrong. NWB will be next.” This enraged Marcus Smith, who tried to discredit the co-owners of 23XI Racing, mocking Hamlin’s lack of championships and highlighting potential issues caused by his alleged ignorance.
Hamlin retaliated by reminding Smith, who oversees 11 tracks in the US, of the organization’s poor track record when it comes to repaving and the detrimental effects it had on the tracks. Smith continued to mock Hamlin for his lack of championships, leading Hamlin to criticize him for not properly maintaining the legacy his father had built.
After some time, presumably for public relations reasons, Smith deleted all the posts he had made on social media. Hamlin, on the other hand, took no action and seems unbothered about expressing his opinions.
The race in Richmond was full of controversies even after the checkered flag. One such controversy revolved around Hamlin’s questionable “jump start,” which helped him secure his second win of the season. However, in a humorous manner, the veteran driver joked with his critics on April Fools’ Day.
Hamlin went to X and shared a post where he seemed to admit guilt for the jump start in Richmond. However, it turned out to be a joke, as Hamlin quickly clarified that it was April 1st and he was pulling an April Fool’s prank.
Despite the controversies surrounding him, Hamlin emerged victorious in his second race of the season, becoming the second driver to achieve this feat after [driver’s name]. The skilled short track racer is optimistic about his chances in Virginia this weekend and aims to reach the top of the championship standings.
