Denny Hamlin blasts NASCAR Next-Gen cars for stifling competition: "Racing needs to be fixed, if we do nothing shame on us"

Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin lambasted NASCAR's reluctance to address the shortcomings of the next-gen's short track package after yet another lackluster showing at Martinsville Speedway.

In a passionate tirade, the veteran NASCAR driver expressed his frustrations with the next-gen's short track package. He argued that while the new cars have brought parity among teams and drivers, this parity hasn't necessarily translated to better racing action, as all drivers are driving optimally.

Denny Hamlin further elaborated on the lack of tire degradation and parity during the race, citing his struggles to pass lapped cars while battling for the lead. He expressed frustration at being forced to bide his time until an opportunity arose. He made the following comments in the latest episode of his podcast Actions Detrimental:

"Now you've not only created the next gen of cars, you created a next-gen of drivers that all drive the same, because its clear the optimum way to drive it. So how are you going to create passing? You will not!"

"At the end of that race, I was trying my damndest to knock Austin Cindric out of the way. He was holding me up bad, I don't know how many laps down he was...I'm trying to knock this guy up the racetrack, I can't do that, I can't reach him. That is a problem, that's why we don't have the cautions, the wrecks, anything we used to have back in the day. We can't even reach the bumper of the cars."

Denny Hamlin requested NASCAR to prioritize making immediate adjustments to the short track package rather than focusing on aerodynamics. The #11 JGR driver emphasized that his sentiments were shared by numerous industry insiders and analysts after the Martinsville race.

The 23XI Racing co-owner concluded that if no changes were made to the package, the sport would inevitably face negative consequences.

"The racing needs to be fixed...If we sit back and do nothing, then shame on us, we deserve whatever's coming to us."

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Denny Hamlin explains decision behind late race pit stop at Martinsville

The #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver was poised to take a top-five finish in the Cook Out 400 at Martinsville Speedway until a late race caution and an unexpected pit call by crew chief Chris Gabehart relegated him to an 11th-place result.

Denny Hamlin elaborated on the late-race strategy, believing he could draw some of his competitors into the pit road to maintain his track position and challenge the dominant Hendrick Motorsports Chevies. However, none of his competitors followed him into the pit lane, leading to him losing positions. He explained post-race (via Frontstretch):

"We ran good, certainly didn't get the finish we deserved but we still ran really well. We were just trying to do something to try to drag others down to pit road with us, and it just didn't work."

Eight rounds into the season, Hamlin currently sits third in the drivers' standings with two victories.