This isn’t the first time NASCAR has faced backlash. Remember the 2016 NASCAR overtime rule? Under the system, NASCAR introduced an overtime line, and the leader must cross on the first lap after the restart. If a caution occurs before crossing that line, the attempt doesn’t count, and they try again. Because of this, multiple restart attempts can dramatically shift the outcome in the final laps. Fast forward to today, and Denny Hamlin fell victim to the rule despite it being renewed.

Sure, it wasn’t William Byron’s fault, and it was Denny Hamlin’s tire gamble that didn’t pay off. But in the playoff system, the overtime rule created by NASCAR ended up with Denny Hamlin getting the short end of the stick. Accusing NASCAR of prioritizing entertainment over the dominant run he had at Phoenix is what is drawing eyeballs, and Hamlin isn’t staying quiet.

Hamlin believes NASCAR punishes its drivers harshly

Speaking on his Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin didn’t hold back. He said, “You know, it kind of in the bigger picture, maybe there’s another sport, I can’t think of another, maybe I can’t think of another that penalizes the leader or the winning team more than what probably NASCAR does. And a lot of it is just for the sake of entertainment. They’ve again, we went down this road of, you know, we’re just going to go chase more entertainment, more entertainment and less on the sports side.” 

And Denny Hamlin may have a point here. Just take the 2021 Formula 1 season, for example. The 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ended in stunning controversy as Max Verstappen claimed his first world title while Lewis Hamilton lost out in the final laps. After Lewis Hamilton, who looked determined to break the record and claim his eighth world title, controlled most of the race, a late safety car from Nicholas Latifi’s crash allowed Verstappen to pit for fresher tires.

Race director Michael Masi then made an unexpected call by letting only certain lapped cars unlap themselves and restarting the race immediately. With a huge tire advantage, Verstappen overtook Hamilton on the final lap, securing the championship as Mercedes protested the handling of the rules. A formal FIA investigation later found that Masi had made a “human error” in applying the safety car procedure and had been under intense pressure from team radio communications.

In response, the FIA removed Masi as race director for 2022. The fallout reshaped how Formula One manages race officiating and cemented Abu Dhabi 2021 as a moment where Verstappen triumphed, Hamilton lost, and Masi ultimately lost his job. And while this was the fault of a race director, F1 certainly didn’t penalize Mercedes or Red Bull, further highlighting Hamlin’s point about NASCAR’s need for entertainment.

Shifting focus back to Denny Hamlin, had the final restart not happened and the winner-take-all playoff rule ceased to exist, the 44-year-old veteran would have finally won his first elusive title. The 20 years of heartbreak, of missing out on championships despite being dominant, would have all come to an end. But with these rules in place, NASCAR sure is tough at times.

Perhaps that’s why Hamlin went on to say, “And NASCAR, what makes it different is the fact that they penalize the leader more than any sport. Or they penalize the winning team more than any other sport.”

Moreover, the NASCAR community didn’t shy away from slamming the NASCAR playoff system after Denny Hamlin’s heartbreaking Phoenix run. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver led 208 laps, but all of that meant nothing with the winner-take-all system in place. This devastating finish even led Hamlin to consider retiring after the 2025 season. However, the No. 11 driver isn’t ready to give up just yet.

Denny Hamlin is set to return to racing in 2026

In his recent Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin, in an honest admission, ended the retirement rumors, opting to continue racing in 2026. Hamlin admitted that if he had sealed the championship this year, he might have retired on the spot, calling it the perfect exit. He said, “Yeah, I mean, listen, I would have begged Joe to let me quit had I won that race. I would have. I would have because it would have just been the perfect way for me to go out. But they’re not ready for that yet. They’re not, you know, that have to have time to work on my succession plan.” 

With a revamped playoff format potentially arriving for 2026, the question naturally follows. Is Hamlin finally positioned for his long-awaited breakthrough? He admitted that for now, he’s still mentally checked out from the grind of racing. He explained, “Very. Very. It doesn’t make me want to race right now in this moment anymore. They could say 36 races, which they’re not. Get over it, you’re going to get playoffs. But it’s still, the offseason is still so fresh, I want nothing to do with racing right now. I’ve got to get some more time.” 

Despite a taxing season, Hamlin has made it clear that the postseason is his chance to reset. And as the New Year inches closer, the No. 11 driver isn’t walking away from his ultimate goal, a NASCAR Cup Series title, just yet.