Denny Hamlin was involved in a heated discussion with SMI CEO Marcus Smith last week.
The past few weeks have been filled with drama for the experienced Joe Gibbs Racing driver. The three-time Daytona 500 champion had a controversial win in the Cup Series race in Richmond. In addition, he found himself embroiled in an online dispute with the Speedway Motorsports Inc. boss.
Hamlin started the dispute by criticizing SMI’s lack of reinvestment in their tracks. He expressed frustration with the unfair distribution of money among teams, tracks, and the behind-the-scenes issues at SMI. This sparked a lengthy debate, but during an interview on the Action Detrimental podcast, the driver of the No.11 Toyota expressed regret about how the dispute unfolded.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver concluded by acknowledging the positive contributions that SMI has made to the sport and the improvements they have implemented. The intense debate between Hamlin and Marcus Smith became overly personal and is something that the 23XI Racing co-owner undoubtedly regrets.
During the same episode of Action Detrimental, Denny Hamlin discussed the positive changes he hopes to see from SMI and NASCAR in the future. He mentioned that the heated online dispute with Marcus Smith will spark more discussions and ultimately lead to improvements.
Hamlin also mentioned that on his podcast, he has consistently shown support for NASCAR and given credit where it is due. However, he emphasized the need to address certain areas that can be significantly improved.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver seems to want Marcus Smith and SMI to address the necessary issues both on and off the track. Only time will tell if all the discussion will have a positive and significant impact on the sport.
