NASCAR President met with Denny Hamlin after the ‘bad leadership’ comments
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Denny Hamlin ( Images via IMAGO/USA Network)
Denny Hamlin expressed his frustration regarding the safety standards of Next-Gen cars on Saturday. The veteran called out NASCAR for its inability to find a feasible solution to the issues. The veteran demanded a complete redesign of the car along with a change in NASCAR leadership.
Denny Hamlin called for a complete redesign of the car and suggested that bad leadership is the cause for the current safety concerns. He said “The car needs to be redesigned. It needs a full redesign. I mean, it can still be called NextGen, but it needs to be redesigned. It needs to be redesigned everywhere,”
The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran pointed out that NASCAR has conceded they are incapable of reinventing the car. He added that the feasible solution is to allow the teams to address the situation. He said, “It’s just (that) NASCAR has to concede that they’re not capable and let the teams do it,”.
Denny Hamlin had a meeting with NASCAR Steve Phelps on Sunday before the race. The 23X1 Racing co-owner’s commonest along with the safety concerns drivers had with the Next-Gen car was discussed. The meeting is significant considering as Hamlin is one of the few drivers on the grid that can speak on behalf of the drivers as well as the team owners.
Denny Hamlin reveals details of his meeting with NASCAR President Steve Phelps
Denny Hamlin pointed out that he had a conversation with Steve Phelps on broader matters of car safety. He said, “Me and Steve talk about much bigger and broader things than the safety of the cars. He’s got a lot bigger tasks ahead of him. I don’t ask him or bog him down with knick-knack things like car safety,”
Denny Hamlin said that they talked about his criticism of NASCAR leadership on media. He pointed out that it wasn’t directed at Steve Phelps. Hamlin added that he trusts Steve and that the relationship he has with him is the best he had with a NASCAR president.
“We talked about that because we have that kind of relationship. I trust Steve. The best relationship I’ve had with any president of NASCAR. He’s done a lot for our sport. I made it very clear that I wasn’t directing anything at him,” Denny Hamlin added.
Denny Hamlin following the public criticism of NASCAR appeared on the NBC “Countdown to Green” here he double down on his stand. He also revealed it’s the responsibility of him and Kevin Harvick as veterans to speak out for the young drivers. Hamlin also said that he is happy that young drivers such as Chase Elliott expressing their opinion on car safety.
“I do feel like at times that I and Kevin have the brunt of the responsibility to go out there and voice what we hear from our competitors and our peers. But as you are starting to see in the media, guys like Chase Elliott and others are starting to voice their displeasure and what they would like to see different as well,” says Denny Hamlin.
Do you agree with Hamlin?
Also read: ‘There’s no excuse for going backward,’ Chase Elliott frustrated by the safety of Next-Gen cars
Also read: NASCAR driver Jordan Anderson suffers second-degree burns after fiery Talladega crash
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Justin P Joy
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