Denny Hamlin criticizes NASCAR over Next Gen car issues

Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing driver and co-owner of 23XI Racing, voices criticism against NASCAR — the organization refuses to increase Next Gen car horsepower despite strong fan pressure.

Through his Actions Detrimental podcast, the number 11 car driver expressed his concerns about Next Gen cars introduced in 2022:

“The issue is clearly bureaucracy. NASCAR says another manufacturer is coming. Until that happens, why not give people what they want? If a new manufacturer comes in and requests reduction, we can lower it to 650.”

Hamlin also emphasized the lack of testing before the launch:

“They didn’t do enough testing. The car wasn’t ready. We had to delay it a year due to COVID — everything wasn’t thought through properly. We only tested multiple cars on track two months before the first race.”

Despite recent consecutive victories at Martinsville and Darlington, Hamlin failed to achieve a hat-trick after Kyle Larson took the win in Bristol.