$70M-worth NASCAR legend reacts with a two-word take on Denny Hamlin’s post-Daytona 500 critique

NASCAR legend Mark Martin applauded Denny Hamlin for the latest episode of the Actions Detrimental podcast, critiquing the Daytona 500. Martin took to X (formerly Twitter) and said the latest release was a great episode.

Martin, worth $70 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth), is a former NASCAR driver with 96 wins across the three national series. 40 of which came in the Cup Series, though the driver didn't win a single Daytona 500 race.

Speaking about the latest Actions Detrimental episode, Mark Martin dropped a two-word take on X, saying:

"Great episode ⁦@dennyhamlin [Denny Hamlin]."

In the episode "Daytona 500: Entertainment Has Taken Over," Denny Hamlin aired his frustrations over the "Great American Race." He admitted waking up feeling pissed off following a disappointing end to his race.

Hamlin critiqued the "entertainment" factor he believes NASCAR created to make racing look more exciting. Notably, the No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver pointed out the restrictor plate racing that cuts horsepower down to keep the cars closer.

Moreover, the podcast host argued scoring good points at Daytona requires luck due to the unpredictability of the racing. On the final lap of the 2025 Daytona 500, Denny Hamlin overtook Austin Cindric for the lead but later got hit by Cole Custer, who moved to the bottom. The contact resulted in a multi-car crash that forced the No. 11 driver to settle with a P24 finish.

Denny Hamlin driving the No. 11 Toyota at Daytona - Source: Imagn

Hamlin would've won his fourth Daytona 500 race if it wasn't for the last-lap incident. But in the end, William Byron crossed the finish line first to become a back-to-back race champion.

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Denny Hamlin made his feelings known about William Byron's Daytona 500 victory

Denny Hamlin admitted feeling uneasy about William Byron winning the Daytona 500 out of luck. He said Byron and the team should've credited the win for race strategy but instead had to tell the press they avoided the wrecks.

Hamlin stated (via the Actions Detrimental podcast):

"What does William Byron say [...] when they ask him, 'How do you do this?' 'I didn't get wrecked.'" [12:19]

The Toyota pilot added:

"That's not what you want to hear You want to hear, 'My team brought an amazing car, we had great strategy, and at the end I made the move to win the race' [...] It's just not fair to William, it's not fair to the 24 team."

William Byron was sixth when the last-lap incident involving Hamlin happened. The No. 24 Chevrolet driver moved closer to the wall to avoid the wreck. Tyler Reddick, who was running behind Byron, got hit but kept the car on the track.

Byron was hailed the race winner followed by Tyler Reddick and Jimmie Johnson. Chase Briscoe and John Hunter Nemechek completed the top five finishing list.

The NASCAR drivers will return to action at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday for the Ambetter Health 400. The 260-lap race will be available on Fox Sports at 3:00 p.m. ET.