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‘All These Languages in the World & All You Speak Is Facts’: NASCAR Fans Hail Denny Hamlin’s Verdict on Modern-Day Superspeedway Racing

Neha Dwivedi
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Feb 12, 2025; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin during Daytona 500 media day at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Denny Hamlin recently dropped a bomb on his podcast, Actions Detrimental, by criticizing drivers who excessively compound their ‘mistakes,’ particularly on Superspeedways. While he did not explicitly name any drivers in the X post, it was evident from the episode that he was dissatisfied with Joey Logano’s aggressive tactics against Ricky Stenhouse Jr., which also adversely affected Hamlin’s own bid for a fourth Daytona 500 victory.

Hamlin expressed his frustration, stating, “It’s not just super Speedway racing. It’s dumba** racing. My favorite quote from Money Ball, ‘when your enemies are making mistakes, don’t interrupt,’ but I’m here trying to interrupt them and say you don’t have to do it this way… Because… it’s f*cking affecting me. Okay? I’m tired of getting taken out by stupid moves that we chalk up to that’s just super Speedway racing.”

Fans rallied behind his outspokenness. One remarked, “Can’t believe there’s all these languages in the world, and all you constantly speak is facts.” Another fan highlighted, “You made a great point that really stood out. Austin Cindric has the same amount of experience as a lot of these other young guys, but he races way differently. Like you can trust that you’ll make it to or near the finish line with him. What is wrong with these other drivers ?”

One fan commented, “This was one of my favorite episodes. Nail on the head on everything,” while another fan said, “Cheer against you every week/Happy with the result due to a HMS driver winning but you’re SPOT ON. Appreciate the candor and your role away from the track. Not sour grapes with this take. I want to see the most deserving/best win every week and Daytona no longer provides that.”

Meanwhile, Hamlin’s former crew chief and current director of competition at Joe Gibbs Racing, Chris Gabehart, weighed in on the issue, succinctly stating, “The problem is… dilution. Ponder hard, folks.”

Hamlin comments on William Byron’s Daytona 500 win while openly criticizing Logano

Hamlin has voiced concerns that prestigious races like the Daytona 500 have devolved into luck-based contests that fail to build any meaningful legacy. He argues that as the competitive fervor escalates towards the race’s end, drivers who realize they cannot win resort to wrecking competitors who block their pass, thus jeopardizing everyone’s chances in a tumultuous finale.

With just five laps remaining, in the recent Daytona 500 race, Logano initiated a maneuver on Stenhouse Jr. because the #47 was averse to going three-wide, which spiraled into a series of events that knocked several contenders, including Hamlin, out of the race.

This wreck along with the one instigated by Cole Custer’s push on Christopher Bell’s back-bumper, led to all eight drivers in the first four rows being eliminated following the white flag restart, paving the way for William Byron to win the race.

In a critical reflection on the conduct of the #22 and #47 drivers, Hamlin remarked, “It’s okay! We can be three wide… I just don’t think we’re ever going to see that in Daytona again [the close finish like the Atlanta race last year] because the drivers just lose their minds and they just don’t understand that. This goes for the #47 and #22… Like what are you doing? It’s 15 to go. I don’t understand…”

Meanwhile, Kyle Busch also lambasted Logano for his poor spatial judgment, stating, “We still got 20 laps to go and he’s trying to go through the middle and make a hole that isn’t there and just created chaos… You got to know how wide your race car is to be able to find a hole that it’ll fit in and he obviously doesn’t know that,” criticizing Logano for his actions that compromised the leading drivers’ chances of victory.

Post Edited By:Srijan Mandal

About the author

Neha Dwivedi

Neha Dwivedi

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Neha Dwivedi is an experienced NASCAR Journalist at The SportsRush, having penned over 2200 articles on the sport to date. She was a seasoned writer long before she got into the world of NASCAR. Although she loves to see Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch win the races, she equally supports the emerging talents in the CARS Late Model and ARCA Menards Series.. For her work in NASCAR she has earned accolades from journalists like Susan Wade of The Athletic, as well as NASCAR drivers including Thad Moffit and Corey Lajoie. Her favorite moment from NASCAR was witnessing Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. win the championship trophies. Outside the racetrack world, Neha immerses herself in the literary world, exploring both fiction and non-fiction.

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