Did Denny Hamlin just decide to shoot himself in the foot? Or is it all a part of a grander scheme? Recently, NASCAR fined Denny Hamlin $50,000 while docking him 25 driver points. All because he admitted to making intentional contact with Ross Chastain at Phoenix in an episode of his show!
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With one lap to go at the Phoenix Raceway, Hamlin pushed high into Turn 1 and hit Ross Chastain, sending him into the wall. While most people did not suspect any foul play, Hamlin’s admission in his podcast proved to be detrimental to him.
However, since Hamlin gave a bold response to the news of the penalty by revealing he wouldn’t make an appeal, tweets supporting Hamlin and his podcast Actions Detrimental began surfacing.
Never been a Hamlin fan but man, such a terrible penalty. The man went on his podcast that he uses to bring exposure to the sports, explained his honest point of view, and got penalized for it. Keep your head up Denny! Really enjoying #ActionsDetrimental from @DirtyMoMedia
— Landon Shaffner (@LandonShaffner) March 16, 2023
You should've just waited till next week to say this, I doubt they would've been able to say much after another whole race had passed. I actually appreciate you're takes and have listened to your show, Ross fan and all.
— Alex Kerner (@psychedalex68) March 15, 2023
Well I'm just glad you are coming back with the podcast next week.
You lived up to the name, #actionsdetrimental.
Respect for that. pic.twitter.com/GxibdFndDd— Dion (J & T Sports) (@Dion_JTsports) March 16, 2023
And this forced some fans to question if the entire incident is more than what meets the eye. Pointing out how the penalty has actually increased awareness about Hamlin’s podcast Actions Detrimental, some Reddit users called it a ‘$50k advertisement.’
NASCAR fans share their $50k advertisement theory
Sharing how they feel that the entire incident is an advertisement for Denny Hamlin’s podcast, fans wrote on Reddit:
What did Denny Hamlin say on his podcast?
In an episode of Actions Detrimental, Hamlin revealed the details of his contact with Chastain at Phoenix.
He shared, “My crew chief told me there were 18 cars on the lead lap. At that point, I said I’m probably running sixth or seventh, I’m about to get passed by everybody behind me who’s on fresh tires. I’m about to finish in the mid-teens. And I said, ‘You’re coming with me, buddy.
“I did. It wasn’t a mistake. No, it wasn’t a mistake. I unleashed, let the wheel go, and I said he’s coming with me. It’s been interesting because I hear people say this is for last year, this is for that. It’s not.”
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And this admission attracted everyone’s attention, including NASCAR, resulting in a $50,000 and 25 points penalty for Hamlin.