Denny Hamlin kept his criticism of NASCAR on a short leash for 34 weeks. A 35th did not happen after the 23XI Racing co-owner heard NASCAR’s stance on the Yellow line at Talladega. Hamlin latched onto the governing body’s favorite word, with his tone leaving little doubt that all patience had finally evaporated ahead of the penultimate race.
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“Listen, all of this stuff that we’re talking about is illegal when we go to Martinsville,” Hamlin said during the latest episode of ‘Actions Detrimental’. “It’s just not when we come to Talladega. I mean, you know what I mean? The whole don’t pass, do this, do like, you know, that was a big deal, last, was that, was that last year? Martinsville two years ago.”
“And then all the Chevys, none of them would pass. They just didn’t go. It’s circumstances, guys. They have, again, they have rules, but it’s just a different track. We’re gonna do everything case by case. That’s their favorite word: case. It’s a case-by-case basis.”
The comments followed Kyle Larson’s October 25 win in the YellaWood 500, when the Hendrick Motorsports driver went from 11th to first on the final lap of overtime, beating teammate William Byron by 0.041 seconds. Ross Chastain pushed Larson during that charge, and garage chatter before the race suggested Chevrolet had told its teams to help him.
That cooperation drew comparisons to the 2024 Martinsville playoff race, where NASCAR penalized three teams for race manipulation. Chastain, Austin Dillon and Bubba Wallace were each fined $100,000 and docked 50 points, and their teams took matching fines and owner-point losses.
NASCAR determined that Chastain and Dillon formed a blockade behind Byron, while Wallace slowed with Christopher Bell closing, citing a tire going down.
Team orders can compromise competitive fairness by allowing one driver to gain an advantage through manufacturer alliances rather than on-track performance, potentially undermining fan trust in race results.
Jared Allen then asked how NASCAR could enforce restrictions on team orders at a superspeedway.
“It’s hard to; it’s hard to,” Hamlin replied.
When Allen suggested the SMT data did not favor his argument, Denny Hamlin questioned the value of rules that competitors might not expect officials to enforce consistently.
“Oh, if people just want to block for others and have team orders, let’s just do it. Let’s just do it because it’s again, if you’re not going to enforce it, then it then some people are going to do it, some people aren’t. And then let the fans talk after that.”
“Let the fans speak about how unhappy they are about team orders and stuff when they see it like be super egregious,” Hamlin said.
The 23XI team owner stopped short of claiming Chevrolet fixed the finish, and NASCAR’s review found no evidence of it. Officials examined SMT data and found that Byron, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Cole Custer ran wide open from Turn 3 to the checkered flag instead of lifting for Larson.
Producer Travis then asked how NASCAR could police that at a track built on drafting.
“It’s hard to it’s it’s hard, which is why I guess it’s a case-by-case basis, where Martinsville becomes maybe more clear. I don’t know Jared but but there’s clearly rules against it but it’s just doesn’t apply to this type of racetrack,” Hamlin responded.
NASCAR’s Yellow-Line Rule Adds to Denny Hamlin’s Frustration
The No.11 JGR driver’s criticism extended beyond team orders to the yellow-line question hanging over Larson’s winning pass. Photos showed Larson’s left-side tires on the double-yellow line, and NASCAR told The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck they never went below it.
The sanctioning body then revised its explanation twice, first indicating a penalty required both tires below the line before saying one tire would be enough. In NASCAR’s view, Larson never had any tire below the line, so the result stood.
In a title fight, unclear rule interpretations can also undermine confidence in officiating, leaving drivers and fans questioning whether decisive calls are being judged consistently.
“And then, you know, you know, I’m not going to be the one on the whole yellow line thing, but like their whole when he says, ‘Yeah, you only have to have one tire.’”
“Nowhere in the rules does it talk about going below the yellow line; does it even bring up a tire? So, what is NASCAR even talking about when it comes to that?” Hamlin said.
For Denny Hamlin, the dispute reflects a wider concern about how NASCAR communicates and applies its rules.
“And this is one of those episodes, and I’ve gone a whole year without, like, ripping them, but like I feel like I’ve been for 34 weeks I’ve been very nice to them, and this just is not the week for that.”
“But just the whole thing is just too seat of the pants. That’s the way they do. It’s too seat-of-the-pants for my liking personally,” he said.
With the Cup Series heading to Martinsville, Kyle Larson leads Denny Hamlin by 73 points with two races left in the Chase. Whether NASCAR can hold one standard for race manipulation across different tracks is the question hanging over a title race that is nearing its end.