After an 11-year stint, Brad Keselowski parted ways with Team Penske in 2022, paving the way for Austin Cindric to take over. Cindric, the son of Team Penske’s president Tim Cindric, was initially set to replace Matt DiBenedetto in the #21 car at the Penske-affiliated Wood Brothers Racing but instead stepped into the #2 Ford. Since then, he’s often been labeled a product of nepotism. However, his victory at Gateway—his second career win—has certainly silenced some of his critics.

With just two wins, 17 top-10 finishes, and a single pole position, Austin Cindric hasn’t exactly been embraced by NASCAR fans, many of whom see him merely riding on his father’s coattails. But now, it looks like Denny Hamlin is throwing his support behind the #2 Team Penske driver, even drawing comparisons to Ty Gibbs, another NASCAR driver with famous family ties in the sport.

Denny Hamlin is backing the son of Team Penske’s president, Austin Cindric

It’s often said that drivers like Austin Cindric and Ty Gibbs were “born with a silver spoon” or “had one foot in the door” because of their family connections within NASCAR. But they counter with an argument that this kind of background can bring extra pressure to prove themselves more than other drivers on the track. But in reality, while typical drivers are on thin ice if they underperform, these guys often get a few more shots because of their close ties to team stakeholders.

Recently, when Austin Cindric snagged a win, the chatter about nepotism in the sport flared up again. Many quickly dismissed his success as just a benefit of his lineage. But Denny Hamlin stands by such drivers, arguing, “If you can go out and there and you can win races and be a contender that goes away over time you know what I mean because you know like Ty Gibbs. While he’s still you know kind of a rookie you know really young um he’s showing that okay he’s going to be he’s going to be good it’s just going to take time um and he’s running up in the top 5, top 10 all the time. […] Cendric is finally figuring out what he needs with this car and could this be the vaulting point into him being a contender in the future.”

Austin Cindric himself feels he’s come a long way as a NASCAR driver. Not to mention, Denny Hamlin drives for Joe Gibbs Racing, and he wouldn’t want to ruffle feathers by criticizing the boss’s grandson. But his backing goes beyond just keeping the peace at work. It’s not just about playing it safe—Hamlin’s support for drivers perceived as benefiting from nepotism isn’t new. He’s stood up for these so-called “nepotism kids” in NASCAR before, showing that his support is genuine and not just about keeping his boss happy.

Has Denny Hamlin changed his tune about nepotism in NASCAR?

Back in 2012 at the Texas Nationwide Race, a bit of a skirmish unfolded when Austin Dillon, after finishing P6, squeezed Hamlin, who finished P5, on pit road. Hamlin didn’t take kindly to that and retaliated by bumping Dillon’s car into the wall. Post-race, Hamlin was visibly upset and didn’t mince words about Dillon’s advantages due to nepotism, flatly stating: “He got his ride because of his name.” 

Fast forward to now, and it seems Hamlin has softened his stance considerably. On his podcast, he spoke more empathetically about Dillon, saying, “You know, he’s on a bad run, for sure. You know he wants to turn around. That kid’s got drive. He is as competitive as I am, maybe more. He’s certainly more athletic than I am. I play a lot of sports with Austin Dillon. He is competitive, it’s not like he is happy running where he is running.”

Well, what do you think about the ongoing nepotism in NASCAR?