If you think NASCAR’s drama is limited to crashes and caution flags, think again. The sport is deep in a legal fight with the antitrust lawsuit,  between 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports, and NASCAR, and now the real heat is coming from leaked text messages circulating online. On one of the tweets, Denny Hamlin just threw some heavy shade, and his latest post might be the loudest hint yet about who’s really stirring the pot.

What’s the big deal?

NASCAR is locked in a bitter antitrust battle with two teams: 23XI Racing (part-owned by Hamlin) and Front Row Motorsports. The teams are suing because they refused to sign a charter renewal deal they argue is unfair. That lawsuit has opened the door to discovery, meaning private emails and text messages are being exposed in court. Some of what’s surfaced is sparking real blowback.

One particularly spicy set of texts is between Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson and an unnamed person. That person hasn’t been publicly identified, but parts of their messages leaked, adding fuel to the conspiracy fires online.

“DARFs”: The slur no one expected

Journalist Steven Taranto lit up X after reading the texts. He pointed out something fans have long suspected: people behind key roles in NASCAR don’t just talk trash about teams, they talk trash about fans too. In the leaked messages, Jeff Dickerson and the mystery person call fans “DARFs,” short for “Dumb Ass Racing Fans.” It’s old insider slang, but it’s not exactly flattering.

Taranto’s take was sharp: “Hey, fans, don’t assume only NASCAR’s leadership disrespects you; the teams are doing it too.” That insight breaks the popular “teams are saints / NASCAR is the villain” narrative.

A reality check from John Newby

Then John Newby, another respected voice in motorsports media, jumped in with some perspective. He didn’t think it was fair to assume the unnamed texter was a team guy. Why? Because there are clues in the messages: the person says they were in the same room as Jim France, NASCAR’s chairman, during Dickerson’s podcast appearance.

That could mean the “DARFs” slur didn’t come from the teams; it could have come from inside NASCAR. Newby’s big message: don’t rush to judgment. We might not know exactly who said what yet.

And then Hamlin enters

That’s when Denny Hamlin made his move. Replying to Newby’s caution, he dropped a single line on X: “Is it not obvious?”

In Hamlin’s world, that question isn’t casual. He’s been one of the most vocal critics of NASCAR’s leadership for months, calling for major transparency and throwing shade at what he sees as an out-of-touch management culture.

By saying “it’s obvious,” Hamlin signals he’s not buying the “who am I” mystery angle. To him, the clues like being in Jim France’s orbit point squarely to this being NASCAR people talking down to fans, not team-side sniping.

This isn’t just any social media moment. Hamlin isn’t just a driver; he co-owns 23XI Racing. His voice carries weight, and when he leans into this kind of fight, it’s more than drama. It’s a strategy.

Over the course of the lawsuit, Hamlin has painted team owners not as instigators, but as underdogs pushing back against entrenched leadership. By doubling down that the unnamed texter is likely a NASCAR insider, he’s reinforcing his story: the problem is at the top, not out on the track.

Every time he posts, he’s adding to the case publicly. “See? This isn’t just about money. It’s about respect.” His comment wasn’t defensive; it was declarative. These leaks give us a rare window into how the sport really works behind closed doors and how messy it can get. For years, NASCAR’s relationship with teams and fans has been built on give and take.

But now, thanks to court-mandated discovery, we’re seeing just how personal some of these disputes get. Leaders are calling names. Owners are firing back. And fans, the lifeblood of the sport, are being insulted by people on both sides.

These weren’t just offhand texts. They were recorded, preserved, and now public. Whether the unnamed texter is part of NASCAR or the teams, the fallout shows how fraught the power struggle really is.