Denny Hamlin pulls a U-turn on his decision to not appeal against NASCAR penalty

Denny Hamlin has confirmed on social media his decision to appeal the penalties imposed on him following last weekend's NASCAR Cup Series event.

Hamlin was fined $50,000 and 25 points by NASCAR on Wednesday for confessing on his podcast that his collision with Ross Chastain on the final lap of the race at Phoenix Raceway was intentional. The veteran driver initially said he would not appeal the penalty.

NASCAR stated that Hamlin incurred the penalties because of his violations of section 4.4.B of the Cup Rule Book, which could result in a loss of 25-50 driver and/or team owner points and/or a $50,000-$100,000 fine. Violations may also result in race suspension(s), indefinite suspension, or membership revocation.

NASCAR also penalized Hamlin for breaking clause 4.4.D, which entails: Actions by a NASCAR Member that NASCAR finds to be detrimental to stock car racing or NASCAR. Any breach of provision 4.4.D may result in a fine and/or indefinite suspension or termination of membership.

NASCAR senior vice president of competition Elton Sawyer stated that Hamlin's statements on the podcast prompted the penalty.

Hamlin took to Twitter on Friday to state that the incident with Chastain "was common hard racing that happens each and every weekend." He further stated that "there was no manipulation of the race nor actions detrimental to the sport."

In the Texas playoff race last year, William Byron spun Hamlin under caution. While Byron admitted that he made contact, he said it was not his intention to spin Hamlin.

NASCAR penalized Byron $50,000 and docked him 25 points. Byron filed an appeal. The National Motorsports Appeals Tribunal reduced Byron's penalty to no points and increased the fine to $100,000.

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What Denny Hamlin said on his podcast

Denny Hamlin was aware that his car was not handling well at the Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, and when it fell off the track, he decided to take Ross Chastain down with him. On his podcast earlier this week, he said:

"I’m about to finish in the mid-teens and I said, ‘You’re coming with me, buddy.' It wasn’t a mistake. I let the wheel go and I said, ‘He’s coming with me.'" Hamlin said on his "Actions Detrimental" podcast Monday.

Denny Hamlin was then penalized by NASCAR and later took to Twitter to say that he would not be appealing the decision.

By penalizing Denny Hamlin, NASCAR may put itself up for criticism regarding its handling of such incidents. Yet, NASCAR understands that allowing a driver to claim that he did anything on purpose may lead to others attempting to use the same justification for more flagrant or unsafe behavior.