23XI Racing’s boss Denny Hamlin makes a strong case to ‘stop the shit’ after Martinsville's last-lap mayhem

The latest Xfinity race at Martinsville ended in chaos after an overtime finish, drawing criticism from fans and pundits. Veteran racer Denny Hamlin also voiced his frustrations on social media, demanding penalties for intentional contact.

Austin Hill took advantage of a multi-car wreck on the final lap to win the US Marine Corps 250 at Martinsville Speedway without leading a single lap. The race saw 14 cautions,15 lead changes, and three restarts in the last ten laps, creating widespread backlash on social media. Former NASCAR Cup Series racer and JR Motorsports co-owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. expressed his disappointment about the race on the iconic NASCAR short-track and wrote on X:

"This racetrack is historic in the grand scheme of all things NASCAR and deserves better."

Hamlin responded to this without holding back:

"It just takes 1 penalty and it will stop this shit. For the short term, that is. Gotta send a message."

Hamlin's comments carry weight considering how the NASCAR Xfinity race at Martinsville unfolded, especially during the final stage.

Taylor Gray battled Sammy Smith for the win in the final stretch of the race, closely followed by Justin Allgaier, chasing his third consecutive win. With three laps remaining, Smith carried out a textbook 'bump and run' on Gray and took the lead on the final lap. However, a caution enabled the JGR #54 to take back his lead in overtime after a white-flag restart.

Reaching the final corner of the race, Gray and Smith wrecked each other as Hill rode the low line to victory. He also won a Dash 4 Cash bonus of $100,000.

Hamlin's call for penalizing reckless driving echoed with the racing community. Hamlin believes that NASCAR's leniency has allowed the drivers to race without accountability. It also highlights the reckless driving in the Xfinity Series, which has seen an average of 14 cautions in the seven races so far.

Denny Hamlin fumes over Xfinity race at Martinsville calls it 'garbage'

Denny Hamlin (11) celebrates winning the 2015 STP 500 at Martinsville Speedway - Source: Imagn

The owner of 23XI Racing and the driver of the #11 Progressive Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, Denny Hamlin, has raced in Martinsville 38 times since 2005. In his two-decade-long career, he had not seen anything like the one on Saturday (March 29). He voiced his frustrations in a series of posts on X and did not mince his words:

"Absolute garbage."

The 0.5-mile short track is known for its bumper-to-bumper driving due to its 'hairclip' like layout, but the Xfinity US Marine Corps 250 raises questions regarding drawing a line. The number of incidents disrupts the flow of the race and reduces the quality of the racing.

Denny Hamlin is a five-time winner at Martinsville Speedway and starts the Cook Out 400 on Sunday (March 30) in the third row. He will be looking to avoid similar wrecks to get his first victory of the 2025 season.