Post-Richmond’s restart controversy, all eyes were on Martin Truex Jr to see if he would tussle with JGR teammate Denny Hamlin over the week. After all, MTJ’s frustrations were visibly apparent only moments after Hamlin’s 53rd Cup victory. However, the NASCAR world was shocked to see an unlikely ‘heavyweight’ contender emerge over the week against Hamlin.

The contender in question is none other than SMI president Marcus G. Smith. The CEO of SMI-owned Sonoma Raceway fired back at Denny Hamlin’s scathing Twitter comments criticizing the recently repaved track’s rapid deterioration. Consequently, the back-and-forth turned nasty by the minute and now the esteemed representatives of NASCAR’s highest echelons have finally buried the hatchet, albeit at the cost of some hard-earned respect.

Denny Hamlin & Marcus Smith patch up the war of words

From Marcus Smith emphasizing Denny’s ‘lack of championships,’ to Denny claiming nepotism in the face of an evolving SMI, and NASCAR landscape, the Twitter feud had all the elements of a civil discussion gone sideways. Nevertheless, after the controversial #11 driver sarcastically predicted the recently repaved North Wilkesboro’s fate to fall similar to Sonoma’s earlier this week, Smith had an absconding reply.

“This is a great post from somebody who doesn’t know all the information. Ignorance on display for the world to see! I will delete this tweet when @dennyhamlin sends me a text or gives me a call directly to ask why this is happening.“ Respectfully, Smith deleted the tweets after the online confrontation, but the controversy had already erupted online. To pour some much-needed water over the fire, Smith had another update for the fans in recent regard. 

“Following up on my previous posts,  I take a lot of pride in the dedication and hard work our teammates put forth to make @NASCAR the very best it can be and I shouldn’t let social media conversations get personal, so I deleted those posts. @dennyhamlin is a passionate driver and team owner and I’m truly looking forward to seeing him drive for a championship this year…” 

As it now appears, the global NASCAR personalities have finally called a truce. Denny Hamlin himself replied to Smith’s original tweet, announcing, “I’ll cosign this. I’ll definitely take responsibility for my part in it. It got more personal than it should have for sure.” But with the eyes of an increasingly vigilant and more importantly, growing NASCAR community firmly set on the unnecessary arguments between the sport’s resonating icons, the damage has been done to more than just the asphalt of Sonoma Raceway.

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Marcus Smith’s recent tweet received a lot of criticism from the fans on hand. Some claimed SMI’s CEO ‘backtracked’ from the revelations, courtesy of Hamlin. One of these replies from a hardcore fan was not so civil, as it read, “You’re a coward and a fraud. Live with it,” candidly stating that what “was said is now available forever, despite you (Marcus G. Smith) deleting it.”

But as Twitter user @MarkoFavre commendably expressed in Smith’s original post: “This should be a lesson that sometimes you need to check yourself and listen to the criticism and actively find a resolution. We all love NASCAR and the goal is to make the sport better. It’s difficult when industry heads project themselves as all-knowing and don’t listen.”

One fan expressed the need for what Hamlin did and said, “But you were honest @dennyhamlin. We need more of it ….. your concerns are legit. More transparency needed. Thank you for caring about the sport and the fans!”

Read More: “Almost Champion,” Denny Hamlin, Locked in Ugly Feud With the SMI President Over ‘Wasted Daddy’s Money’ Amidst the Sonoma Repave Disaster

Although NASCAR’s latest showdown turned many heads online, the collective sentiment requires more than just an argument, it requires a resolution. The Sonoma road race will have to wait till June 9th to reveal the eventual problems of the NASCAR season. For now, Denny Hamlin must battle the magical Martinsville half-mile, and it is safe to say that the #11 is already in on all the mayhem.