Denny Hamlin discussed the reporting culture in the NASCAR pit during the Atlanta Cup race. The race had a controversial start when it was revealed that a penalty would be imposed on a two-time NASCAR Cup champion for using modified gloves to gain an advantage. This violation of the SFI specialization sparked speculation on how NASCAR discovered the infraction. Denny Hamlin, a veteran driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, shared his thoughts on the controversy during his podcast, suggesting that it was likely an informant who exposed the Penske Racing driver’s illegal move.
According to Hamlin, there are people in the pit who act as informants, reporting any illegal actions they observe to the race tower as part of a self-policing system. Once the race tower becomes aware of the infraction, the information is passed on to NASCAR’s senior vice presidents, who then instruct the officials to investigate the teams involved. While self-policing can be beneficial for the sport, ensuring fair play and discouraging teams from taking illegal shortcuts, Hamlin also warned that it could stifle natural innovation if taken to the extreme.
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