Denny Hamlin Appeals to Joe Gibbs for a Move Away From the Cup Series Amid Declining Quality

Before it was called Xfinity, it was the Busch Series. Back in the 1980s, it was NASCAR’s scrappier, wilder little sibling and was seen as the stepping stone to NASCAR. Many of today’s top Cup drivers first made their mark in Xfinity. Kyle Larson, known for his raw talent and versatility, captured the 2013 Xfinity Series Rookie of the Year title before becoming a Cup Series champion in 2021. Similarly, Chase Elliott clinched the 2014 Xfinity Series championship, showcasing the consistency and racecraft that would later help him win the Cup Series title in 2020. But over the years, the Xfinity Series has gone from a development playground to a proving ground where veterans and up-and-comers battle with equal grit. It’s where side-by-side finishes aren’t a happy accident, they’re practically guaranteed, adding to its excitement.

The final lap action for the recent AG-Pro 300 was one for the ages. Dale Jr.’s prodigy, Connor Zilisch, was leading the race, and a bump from the #21 Chevy sent him spinning out of the way. When the dust settled and drivers crossed the finish line, there was a big conundrum. Who had won the race? A three-wide photo finish meant so much deliberation that it kept fans on the edge of their seats! When Austin Hill was finally declared the winner, it was a massive moment, a result of looking at the finish from three different angles. Compared to the Cup Series finish, which, although it had some action, Xfinity felt like top-tier racing. This comes against the backdrop of Next Gen Cup cars sparking debates about stale superspeedway racing.

Fans and drivers alike are beginning to look at the Xfinity Series a little differently. Maybe too differently. In a world where lower-tier no longer means less entertaining, the unthinkable suddenly doesn’t feel so far-fetched. And one NASCAR veteran, Denny Hamlin, just said it out loud – into a mic, on air, no less.

Speaking on his Actions Detrimental Podcast on Tuesday, he said, “Joe Gibbs Racing, if you’re hearing this, sign me up for an Xfinity Superspeedway race. That is how racing used to be. That’s how good we used to have it. We just never knew it, like these cars are moving around, you can create runs. I’m sure someone on social would do this for me, give me a side-by-side of the last two laps of the Xfinity versus the last two laps of the Cup race. Tell me what was more compelling for you. It just it was so… the acing is so good, it’s so good. It’s because they have the bubble effect, where when they get close to each other, they push each other away instead of it you know having to make contact.”

Hamlin wasn’t wrong. Once seen as primarily a proving ground for future stars, the Xfinity Series has transformed into one of stock car racing’s most intense and unpredictable showcases. Its recent surge in popularity owes much to its chaotic finishes and visceral, unscripted drama—traits that many believe have been dulled at the Cup level by technological refinement and a leveling of the playing field. Denny Hamlin highlights the series’ unique “bubble effect,” where aerodynamic spacing creates natural separation between cars, allowing for bold, improvisational racing. The result is a thrilling contrast to the Cup Series, where precision and patience often overshadow spontaneity and raw aggression.

The 2024 Focused Health 250 at COTA perfectly captured the Xfinity Series’ wild spirit. In a double-overtime frenzy, Kyle Larson snatched victory after Shane van Gisbergen and Austin Hill collided in a heated fight for the lead, an opportunistic move that turned chaos into triumph and underscored the series’ edge-of-the-seat action. On the other hand, the Cup Series has been plagued by a lack of such thrilling outcomes.

Throughout 2024, drivers kept talking about the problems the Cup car has. The Cup cars are so similar that you have everyone running within virtually three to four tenths of each other. And that’s the case on the pit road too! Xfinity didn’t change the five lug nut regulation, and it’s seen overtakes happen on the pit road.

NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. recently backed Denny Hamlin’s pointed critique of the NextGen cars, too. He highlighted how the current design limits racing excitement. On his Dirty Mo Media podcast, Dale Jr. reflected on the 2025 Talladega race, noting, “You saw it at the end of the race when they went all like ‘All right, we’re all f—— going,’ they can’t do nothing but run two by two.”

He pointed to Denny Hamlin’s expert analysis, saying, “Denny explains it on his show. He’s a driver. Nobody better than (him) to tell us why those guys in the second, third, and fourth row didn’t duck out on the last lap or coming to the finish line.” This insight underscores the aerodynamic challenges drivers face with the Next-Gen cars, which restrict passing opportunities.

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Dale Jr. further explained the root cause: “The car’s got way too much drag on it. And so I mean if they took some drag off this thing, big chunks, it would make the racing look completely different.” The excessive drag forces drivers into pack racing with limited maneuverability, reducing the dynamic, side-by-side battles fans crave.

That’s why it wouldn’t be a surprise when Hamlin expressed a desire to return to the second tier of NASCAR. “Xfinity, it’s just man, it looks so fun. I want to do it before I retire. I want to do it. One more Xfinity race. I probably would want to do Daytona because the runs are a little bigger at Daytona than they are at Talladega, because the air can’t escape the racetrack. The track is narrower, so the runs are more plentiful at Daytona.” 

​Denny Hamlin’s last appearance in the NASCAR Xfinity Series came at Darlington Raceway in 2023, where he delivered a masterclass in racecraft. Starting from the pole, Hamlin executed a dramatic last-lap pass on Austin Hill during a green-white-checkered finish to claim his sixth Xfinity win at the track and the 18th of his career. Since then, Hamlin hasn’t raced in the series, so it remains to be seen whether Hamlin gets the chance to do it once again.

While Denny Hamlin considers his post-Cup Series plans, let’s take a look at his take on the All-Star Race.

Denny Hamlin lays down an honest verdict on the All-Star Race

Every single year, the All-Star Race brings a certain amount of excitement to fans. Those attending the North Wilkesboro track certainly know what we mean. But this year, NASCAR wanted to spice things up with the ‘Run What Ya Brung’ format. Basically, it was giving teams a free hand on running different aero packages and adjustments, provided they made it through the safety inspection. Perhaps it could have given NASCAR a solution to its short-track problem.

On paper, it sounds like a wonderful idea. Can you imagine the kind of racing we would get to see, especially in the Next-Gen era with its focus on parity? Denny Hamlin had that perspective, too. “Generally speaking, if you’re just talking to me, the racecar driver and the fan, I’m gonna say, ‘Damn, I wish we had this.’ This would be fantastic. There could possibly be something that gets learned for the short-track package that could make it better.” At the same time, he asked an important question, revealing just why teams don’t want the format: “Who is going to pay for it?”

That’s when Hamlin explained the teams’ perspective. These Next-Gen parts are expensive, and to experiment with them just for one race would not be a smart decision for most teams. “It’s because the teams don’t have enough money,” Hamlin said. “This is what we’re fighting for. This is what we’ve been talking about. If you continue to lose money year after year, why would you just raise your hand and say, ‘Sure, I’ll take another million loss, give me a million? I’ll take a million loss.’ You can’t do that. It’s not sustainable,” Hamlin declared.