Denny Hamlin, one of the first drivers to call out the elimination format’s shortcomings, had not just articulated what fans wanted but also delivered his opinions from a driver’s perspective. He is now looking back with pride, acknowledging that the changes are for the better.
Advertisement
It’s been a rocky few months for Hamlin, who was involved in the heated charter lawsuit with NASCAR as 23XI Racing‘s owner regarding the charters. He came out on top of that after NASCAR decided to go for a settlement.
Following that lawsuit, NASCAR went ahead and announced the changes it is implementing going forward, including the change in the playoff format. Ahead of the Clash at Bowman Gray, when Hamlin was asked if he was satisfied with the changes, he responded, “I am,” before detailing his point of view.
“The bulk of the offseason was from what I could see, was NASCAR undoing some of the direction they had gone the last decade or so, which are all good things. I feel like the Chase is a very good compromise for all the stakeholders. And I certainly feel like, if anything, it’s a benefit for your top competitors, who are the challengers week in and week out,” added Hamlin.
The new format will reward drivers during the regular season and the playoffs. Certainly, it offers more of a head start than what the Chase provided years ago. While it resembles the old Chase, drivers will have greater motivation to perform well in the regular season because of the advantage the points gained will give them to start those 10 playoff races.
Hamlin can see a good balance of everything in the format. There will be no doubt about the validity when the top drivers come down to the end and determine who finishes as champion.
“While it can come down to one last restart at the end of Homestead, it’s still going to be a body of work you put in over the first nine and-a-half races up to that point,” Hamlin said.
“I don’t think any one restart will define it, even though it might determine who the champion might be; it’s still going to be the two or three most deserving guys when it comes down to that final race,” he added.
For now, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver is pleased with where it ended up and stands in full support of the change in the playoff format, and some of the other changes as well.
Hamlin on Charlotte ROVAL getting replaced
Hamlin has not been a road course specialist. If anything, he has always advocated for NASCAR to lean more heavily toward oval racetracks.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver carries an average finish of 16.9 on road and street courses. Understandably, he was happy that NASCAR had replaced the ROVAL with its 1.5-mile oval, particularly during the playoff season.
“I don’t think it’s a secret that it’s all positive from me on these types of changes. Bigger sample size, fewer road courses, given my history, so those are all positive for me,” said Hamlin.
Hamlin’s take on it was based not just on his strengths but also on the sport’s history and the nature of the Next Gen car. He also explained how mile-and-a-half tracks have been NASCAR’s strength.
He then labeled the Charlotte oval an exceptional track. If the schedule features any track hosting multiple races at the same venue, Charlotte would rank among the top choices. That’s why the JGR driver is glad to see it return. Drivers, for the most part, support the change back to the oval.
Hamlin appreciates the changes the sport has undergone over recent years, including the introduction of road courses and different venues like Charlotte or the Chicago Street Race. He acknowledges that those have benefited the sport. But Hamlin also believes NASCAR is a sport built on oval racing, and moving back to ovals is a return to its roots.
