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Brett Griffin criticized NASCAR reporters for questioning drivers' retirement plans after Denny Hamlin was asked the same during media interaction. He also commented on Kevin Harvick, who was 48 when he retired from the sport.
NASCAR usually features senior drivers in the sport alongside a mix of raw, young talent joining the field every year. Yet, most teams choose to pick more experienced drivers who have spent decades behind the wheel. Hamlin is one of them. He debuted on the Cup Series field back in 2005 and has since raced for Joe Gibbs Racing.
Considering that he is 44 right now, he was questioned about his age and retirement while speaking to the media earlier.
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"I think people like Harvick were still even, I think he was, was he 48 when he retired? Like he was still on top of his game as far as I was concerned. So I think it's different for everyone," Hamlin mentioned via Bob Pockrass.
Reacting to his comment, Brett Griffin, a former host of the DBC podcast under Dale Earnhardt Jr., mentioned that reporters should refrain from asking these questions to drivers and let them focus on racing.
"Stop asking when they’ll stop and just enjoy while they are here competing. Whoever asks this never competed in any contact sport," he wrote on X.
He further agreed with Denny Hamlin's comment on Kevin Harvick still being a competitive driver at the time of his retirement.
"And, Denny is right. Harvick was still a BAMF. His cars, unfortunately, were not as good as he was. When teams save money they slow down."
Harvick retired from the Cup Series at the end of the 2023 season at the age of 48.
Denny Hamlin aims at winning more during his final window of racing in NASCAR
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has quite a few achievements in the NASCAR Cup Series, but one thing he still lacks is the championship. He has been a competitive driver through the years, and his current experience pays off on the track, but he has always remained just far enough to miss out on the main title.
Adding to his comment, Denny Hamlin claimed that he still has the "drive" to compete in NASCAR and aims to win more before his time to hang up his boots finally comes.
"But you know, my drive is still there. And obviously the performance is still there. So I'm going to try to just win all I can in this window while it is still there."
Denny Hamlin has won two races so far this season, alongside four other top-10 finishes. His experience behind the wheel is delivering well in terms of consistency, but he will have to remain competitive at the top if he wants to have another shot at the title.
