Denny Hamlin delivers strong verdict on NASCAR’s ‘dirty rumor’ of expanding Championship race drivers: “You’re going the wrong way”

Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin recently addressed an unexpected and unconventional rumor he heard from a NASCAR official. The speculation suggested a potential change to the playoff format, increasing the number of drivers in the championship race from four to five.

Veteran NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin pilots the #11 Toyota Camry XSE for Joe Gibbs Racing. With 74 career wins, including 54 in the Cup Series, he has established himself as one of the sport’s most consistent competitors. However, despite his success, the 44-year-old is still chasing his first elusive Cup Series championship.

In a recent episode of Dirty Mo Media's Actions Detrimental podcast, the three-time Daytona 500 winner shed light on the rumor, and further expressed his disagreement with the potential change.

"I've heard a dirty rumor, someone from NASCAR said it that you know maybe we expand that the championship race to five drivers. Like no, you're going the wrong direction. Please don't do that. You're just watering this down more, stop making it easier, make it harder. You got to build the prestige of the people. Don't keep opening it up to more places, more spots, more opportunity. No, you got to make it special" Hamlin said.

On being asked whether his opinion would change if the potential fifth spot essentially makes way for the JGR driver, Hamlin stood firm to his initial thoughts and said:

"No, no stop it. Let's not support that narrative. Let's just say that's a terrible idea and you're going the wrong way,: he added

Denny Hamlin secured his place in the 2024 playoffs with three strong regular-season wins. However, his championship hopes faded in the postseason as he was eliminated after the Round of 8. Across 36 races, the three-time Daytona 500 winner tallied three victories, 12 top-five finishes, and four pole positions.

Notably, Joey Logano's controversial championship victory last season has reignited discussions about potential changes to the current playoff format.

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Denny Hamlin delivers strong message on 23XI Racing driver Tyler Reddick

23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin recently shared his thoughts on Tyler Reddick, one of his team’s standout drivers. In a recent interview with the Associated Press, the three-time Daytona 500 winner sent a bold message to Reddick’s rivals, emphasizing his newfound dominance on the track. Hamlin said:

“He just has the ability to get more speed out of a car than others,” Denny Hamlin said. “That’s the simple way to put it. But he’s also got very good race craft. That’s where he’s really gotten better over time is being able to manage his stuff and keep it, keep himself in the game, even when he doesn’t have the best car.”

Meanwhile, the Daytona 500 is scheduled for 2:30 PM this coming Sunday. Catch the rae life on FOX, MRN, and SiriusXM.