“Our Fans Have Been Brainwashed”: Denny Hamlin Goes on Social Media Rant Against Unfair Coverage of the Trial

23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports will head into the courtroom on Monday as their joint antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR finally reaches its long-anticipated trial phase, for a showdown that could reshape, or leave untouched, the business model that has governed stock car racing for decades.

The lawsuit, filed in October 2024 after NASCAR’s charter proposal failed to satisfy either team, has hovered over the sport ever since. But as media officials covering NASCAR reported on the proceedings ahead of the trial, Denny Hamlin launched pointed responses on social media, accusing the coverage of skewing the narrative.

Hamlin seemed to believe that the entire pre-trial framing missed the mark. He felt it failed to accurately reflect why 23XI Racing and FRM filed the antitrust suit in the first place, and that it sidestepped what he views as NASCAR’s true motives, motives that he, Michael Jordan, and Bob Jenkins are challenging head-on.

Hamlin fired back almost immediately after reading the coverage on X (formerly Twitter). He wrote, “Please give credit to @mforde for helping you write this propaganda piece that they want pushed to switch the narrative. Continuous lies about our stance, NASCAR’s motives for its actions, and continued message from the sanctioning body that everything is fine. Our fans know better.”

The JGR veteran did not stop there, continuing to write, “Our fans have been brainwashed with their talking points for decades. Narratives pushed by media who are intimidated by them. Lies are over starting Monday morning. It’s time for the truth. It’s time for change,” he added, clarifying that he expects the courtroom to pull back the curtain.

The teams have accused NASCAR of wielding monopoly power over the sport, and recent text messages circulated online show conversations among Steve O’Donnell, Steve Phelps, and other top NASCAR brass discussing not only taking down Tony Stewart’s SRX series but also disparaging Richard Childress. According to the teams, the problems run deeper.

They argue that the charter system remains stacked against them, that NASCAR owns the racetracks yet doesn’t invest enough in their development, and that the sanctioning body keeps a larger share of revenue while offering teams less under the guise of maintaining those facilities.

The initial trial is expected to last 21 days, though appeals will almost certainly extend the legal battle far beyond that window. For now, the sport stands on the brink of a courtroom clash that could either push long-simmering issues into the light or reinforce the same power structure that has defined NASCAR for generations.