Denny Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI Racing, recently lashed out at a story by Ryan McGee for what he called a “propaganda piece,” accusing the reporter and the sanctioning body of twisting the narrative ahead of the upcoming antitrust trial between 23XI (and Front Row) and NASCAR. Hamlin said the article pushed “continuous lies” about his team’s stance on fairness and money distribution, claims that fans and many in the garage quickly reacted to, including writer McGee himself.

McGee, for his part, responded that he attempted to remain neutral, using phrases like “(fill in the blank) believes…” and “(fill in the blank) argues…” to present multiple viewpoints. The feud has stirred widespread debate as Hamlin warns the old media narrative is over. Some fans are backing him, while others worry this kind of rhetoric could harm trust in the sport. And Kenny Wallace has added his opinion to all of this.

Kenny Wallace says Hamlin’s callout started an angry mob

Kenny Wallace didn’t hold back on his Coffee with Kenny show when he talked about Denny Hamlin calling out Ryan McGee’s ESPN article as “propaganda.” The moment Hamlin posted that, accusing the piece of being written with help from NASCAR’s Mike Forde to flip the script before the December 1 trial, things went nuts online.

Wallace said, “Everybody’s going bat sh-t crazy right now. Good job, Denny. I’m behind you.”

He got that fans were fired up, but then he saw the backlash turn into something else.

“Most of everything I see is he’s riled everybody up. Most of the people I see is like ‘That’s right, Denny. I hope you destroy NASCAR…’” Wallace paused, letting that sink in.

He called what followed “like a mob. The angry mob.” To him, the outrage wasn’t just about the article or the lawsuit anymore; it was becoming a call to burn it all down. Wallace didn’t know if he bought every bit of Hamlin’s claim, but he knew one thing: when fans get that mad, the sport loses.

The whole thing blew up because McGee’s story came at the worst possible time. It was an explainer on the lawsuit, trying to lay out both sides of the fight over charters and money. Denny Hamlin fired back that it was full of “continuous lies” about what 23XI really stands for and what NASCAR’s real motives are.

He said the message that “everything is fine” from the sanctioning body is just smoke. McGee replied that he aimed for balance, using “believes” and “argues” to show different views, but Hamlin wasn’t having it. He told fans they’ve been “brainwashed” by decades of talking points from media too scared to push back.

Kenny Wallace watched it all unfold and said “The anger feels good at first, but turns ugly fast. The lawsuit is about real issues like fair revenue and team rights, but when it starts feeling like a personal war, nobody wins.”

He didn’t pick Hamlin or McGee, just pointed out how a simple article turned into a mob chasing the sport itself.

NASCAR’s exhibit lists show what’s really on the table for the trial

As the December 1 trial gets closer, both sides filed huge lists of what they’ll use as evidence, and it’s a roadmap of the whole fight. The teams have 778 exhibits, mostly about charter talks: emails, letters, strategy decks from years of back and forth with the RTA and NASCAR.

There’s financial stuff too, like team profit loss statements, tax docs, valuation models, and shareholder presentations. Media rights term sheets from FOX, NBC, and WBD, plus internal analyzes on how money gets split. Sanction agreements, Next Gen costs, RTA minutes on league ideas, expert reports, and a few news articles round it out.

NASCAR’s list is even bigger at 814 exhibits, but it’s the same ground: charters, cash, control. They have internal team texts and emails from RTA leaders like Polk, Newmark, Kauffman, Hamlin, Jordan, and Gordon, showing negotiating plans, cost worries, and how they talked to each other.

It has financial records, sponsorship deals, driver contracts, and charter buys. Plus the Next Gen development notes, vendor chats, and scheduling research. Furthermore, it has media rights evidence tying TV money to the sport’s future, with RTA board minutes, decks, surveys, and studies on alternative series that NASCAR plans to use to show the teams were acting like a cartel.

It’s all connected. The teams say NASCAR squeezes them on tracks and parts, leaving no room to grow. NASCAR says the teams are the ones coordinating to force better deals. With Hamlin calling out “propaganda” and Wallace warning about the mob, the trial isn’t just about papers. It’s about trust, and what’s left when the texts and emails stop flying.