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NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Playoff Media Day Aug 27, 2025 Charlotte, NC, USA Denny Hamlin answers questions from the media during NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Media Day at Charlotte Convention Center. Charlotte Charlotte Convention Center NC USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJimxDedmonx 20250827_jla_db2_010
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NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series Playoff Media Day Aug 27, 2025 Charlotte, NC, USA Denny Hamlin answers questions from the media during NASCAR Cup Series Playoff Media Day at Charlotte Convention Center. Charlotte Charlotte Convention Center NC USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJimxDedmonx 20250827_jla_db2_010
After months of lawyers, tension, and headlines, NASCAR and its most outspoken team co-owner may finally be headed for something that resembles peace. On October 2, 2024, 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports shocked the industry by filing an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR, accusing the France family of anti-competitive practices and an unfair charter system. Now that the lawsuit was settled just a month ago, Denny Hamlin sounds… surprisingly optimistic. And as he puts NASCAR’s “new direction’’ on notice, he’s signaling something bigger: maybe it’s finally time to bury the hatchet and reshape the sport together.
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Denny Hamlin says it’s time for a reset
“Yeah, hopefully. I mean, that’s the goal, and hopefully we all use it as a reset, right?” Denny Hamlin said when asked whether NASCAR’s relationship with its teams could finally start to change. For him, the answer hinges on one big idea: thinking about the sport holistically. Not just reacting to frustrations, not nitpicking single decisions, but stepping back and asking the real question. Are we heading in the right direction overall?
That mindset suddenly feels more relevant than ever, because as of yesterday (February 4, 2026), the antitrust lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports has officially been dismissed. After more than a year of legal wrangling, motions, and a trial that hovered like a storm cloud over the garage, the case is over. And the timing is remarkable: the settlement comes just one day before the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season begins with the Cook Out Clash.
The dismissal confirms what many insiders suspected: both 23XI and FRM have now signed NASCAR’s new charter agreements. This was a major piece of the settlement. As part of resolving the lawsuit, NASCAR distributed revised Charter Agreements to the 15 teams that collectively own the sport’s 36 charters, valuable assets that guarantee race entry and revenue distribution.
Those updated agreements went out the week of January 19, with teams given a two-week deadline to review and sign ahead of Daytona. And now, both teams at the center of the legal fight have returned their signed documents, officially closing one of the most dramatic disputes in modern NASCAR history.
What’s actually in the settlement? That remains under wraps. But the signal is clear: the legal battle is over, and the sport has its charters locked in. Whether it leads to the “reset” Hamlin hopes for, that’s the next chapter.
Hamlin’s shoulder injury complicates a high-stakes 2026 season
Denny Hamlin enters the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season with more weight on his shoulders than anyone realized. Literally! Ahead of the Clash, he revealed to the media that he has re-torn the same shoulder muscle that plagued him in previous years. Rather than undergoing immediate surgery, Hamlin has chosen to push through the season, knowing that a full recovery would sideline him for months and effectively end his championship hopes before they begin.
For now, the plan is survival. Hamlin will limit himself strictly to Cup Series events and cut out anything that could aggravate the injury. “We’re going to get fixed again,” he said. “Limiting, honestly, the things I love to do… I’m just going to miss out on a lot of the fun things.” It’s a blunt, emotional admission from a driver who rarely lets his guard down, especially when the season hasn’t even started.
This comes at a uniquely vulnerable time for Hamlin, not just physically, but personally. The 2026 season was shaping up to be a genuine shot at that elusive first championship, particularly with the new Chase format offering him arguably his clearest path yet. But the emotional toll of losing his father, a foundational figure in his racing journey, already cast a shadow over his year. Add to that the responsibility of caring for his injured mother, and Hamlin’s path grows even more challenging.
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His shoulder has been a recurring battle. First treated in late 2023 after a three-win season, the effects returned late in 2024 as his performance tapered off. Yet Hamlin rebounded impressively in 2025, proving he could still contend at the highest level. Now, with a torn shoulder and a heavy heart, Hamlin moves forward. Determined, limited, but not out.