Denny Hamlin has never been one to hold back, but after the 2025 Daytona 500, his frustration with NASCAR’s current state reached a boiling point. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran and co-owner of 23XI Racing is tired of watching what was once a battle of skill and strategy devolve into a wreck-fest lottery where luck determines the winner more than talent.
“We just knock each other out of the way and say, ‘That’s just short track racing.’”
In his latest “Actions Detrimental” podcast, Hamlin torched NASCAR’s Next-Gen car era, calling out the destruction of superspeedway racing, the overregulation of the sport, and even questioning whether his investment in 23XI Racing was a mistake.
Hamlin: “Superspeedway Racing Is Dead”
The three-time Daytona 500 champion has watched NASCAR slowly erode the skill-based racing that made legends out of drivers like Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Jeff Gordon.
- Once upon a time, Daytona was about drafting mastery, precise timing, and calculated aggression.
- Now, wreck avoidance and blind luck dictate who gets to hoist the Harley J. Earl Trophy.
- Fuel-saving strategies, imposed speed limits, and aerodynamically “planted” cars have made it impossible for drivers to control their own destinies.
“Daytona 500 was a battle of the best driver and the best team… some of the greats of our sport could navigate the traffic and use it to their advantage… that art is gone now.”
Hamlin is not alone in his anger. Many drivers privately agree, but few are willing to publicly take on NASCAR. Hamlin, however, is done playing nice.
“The Daytona 500 Is a Lottery”
Hamlin’s frustrations boiled over after this year’s Daytona 500 finale. Entering the last lap, he was battling Austin Cindric for the win when Cole Custer’s ill-fated move triggered a massive wreck—one that William Byron miraculously avoided to steal back-to-back victories.
“Every car is planted to the ground, which is why we are going down the straightaway just ram-rodding each other.”
The Next-Gen car’s design has forced drivers into bumper-to-bumper chaos, making clean passes nearly impossible. The result? A wreck-fest where the last man standing wins.
“It is luck and I don’t care how else you wanna say it… You just have to avoid the wreck.”
This is the Daytona 500 now—a glorified demolition derby.
“I Spend Millions for What? It’s Just a Crapshoot”
As a team owner, Hamlin’s frustration goes beyond just being a driver. He and Michael Jordan have poured millions into 23XI Racing to field competitive cars, only to watch their drivers’ fates be decided by reckless pile-ups.
“I spend so much money at 23XI to ensure my team and my drivers have the best cars available to go out there and compete for a win. But it’s just such a f—— c—shoot now.”
Hamlin’s anger is justified. The Daytona 500 is supposed to be NASCAR’s most prestigious race—not a lottery where surviving the last wreck is all that matters.
Hamlin’s Final Verdict: NASCAR Is Failing Its Legends
Hamlin isn’t just complaining—he’s pleading for NASCAR to fix what’s broken. He believes the current approach is an insult to the legends of the past, who built the sport on raw skill, risk-taking, and competitive racing.
“The finishes have been bad… Next Gen with fuel saving and all that stuff, that’s not my forte and I’ve got to learn to be better at it.”
That’s not a challenge—it’s a warning. NASCAR risks alienating its most passionate drivers and turning its biggest races into a spectacle of luck rather than skill.
If NASCAR doesn’t listen, the sport that Dale Earnhardt Sr., Richard Petty, and Jeff Gordon built might never truly recover.
