“Certainly Not Very Good”: Denny Hamlin Frustrated With Fruitless NASCAR Charter Talks

Despite it being one of the oldest topics discussed on this episode of the Actions Detrimental podcast, no progress seems to have been made. If anything, things might have even gone backward for all parties involved. Jared Allen revealed that the owners got their worst offer yet from NASCAR and a disappointed Denny Hamlin could only nod in approval.

Recently, Jim France reportedly said that NASCAR could only support the teams if they were also being supported. As far as Hamlin is concerned, nothing they have done has been reflective of support. The 23XI Racing owner said that they had one-on-one discussions with NASCAR which seemed positive at the time. However, the new offer indicates nothing of their concern and takes away even more.

“It just seems to be going backwards time after time. The newest, latest is certainly not very good. It just seems like we always take one step forward and two steps back and I just don’t know the reason for it,” Hamlin said, the dejection clear in his voice.

It’s important to note that the current charter agreement comes to an end this year and half of the season is already over. There has seemingly been no progress in new charter talks.

What are the repercussions of not having a new charter deal?

Is this a cause for concern? Well, certainly. It is not like NASCAR holds something like a monopoly power over the teams. If there is no agreed-upon deal before the start of the 2025 season, the teams can boycott certain races. There even is a scenario where certain teams race in other competitions instead of NASCAR-sanctioned ones.

While that would be detrimental to the sport’s appeal and long-term survival, NASCAR also needs to be able to meet teams’ demands. There is a unity of sorts among the team owners about the matter but neither party seems to be willing to give an inch. It will be interesting to see the charter deal they end up agreeing upon if indeed that comes to pass.