“Hell No”: Kyle Larson & Denny Hamlin on Change to Unpopular Racetrack After NASCAR “Swung and Missed”

In the last few years, NASCAR has added, removed, and modified most of its racetracks to have a dynamic schedule. Some tracks have gained from it while others have proved to be a confusing case. Texas Motor Speedway has certainly not become very endearing to fans and drivers alike. But of course, it can be fixed right? This was something Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson recently addressed.

Ahead of the race at Texas, Larson was asked about what he would change about the racetrack. Hamlin on the other hand, expressed his thoughts on the same subject after the race that William Byron ended up winning.

Denny Hamlin explains the reason behind Texas’ lackluster racing

In an interview after the race, Denny Hamlin was asked whether he thinks the track needs to be changed or reconfigured. The veteran replied, “It’s just a tough track. When SMI reconfigured this thing, we just swung and missed on it for sure so I don’t know what you do with it.”

“The Next Gen car is really great on all other mile and a halfs, it’s just this one. There’s just no tire falloff. I did the tire test but Goodyear is always going to choose the most durable tire they can to not blow out and when you have that, you’re not gonna have any falloff then you’re gonna have guys with old tires go out there and win.”

Hamlin claimed that passing in Texas is “very, very difficult”, and even more so considering all the cars “run the same speed” and the lack of tire fall off.

Kyle Larson isn’t sure of what’s to be done with Texas

Before Hamlin shared his views on the subject of Texas reconfiguration, Kyle Larson was asked whether he would change a particular section of the racetrack or the whole configuration. “I don’t know what I would do in Texas. I think they’ve F-d it up when they remodelled the surface and the shape,” Larson replied.

“I don’t think there’s really anything you can do. (Turns) 1 and 2 is the corners that needs the most help but they can’t work on that. Shorting up the dog leg is gonna do a ton.”

When a reporter chimed in with a suggestion of giving Texas the Atlanta treatment, Larson immediately exclaimed, “Hell no.” He added that short tracks with the Next Gen car aren’t a good formula to begin with.

Larson explained that if he was posed with a similar question a few years ago, he would’ve suggested Texas be converted to a three-quarter mile track. But now, he isn’t sure about what to do. “I don’t have any answers,” he said.

Yet there’s one thing or rather one demand Larson made with NASCAR about Texas’ future reconfiguration. No dirt, please.