"It keeps getting worse" - Denny Hamlin expresses frustration on NASCAR charter drama

Denny Hamlin recently shed light on NASCAR's new charter agreement, which will be implemented next year. This is not the first time Hamlin has been critical with his responses on the subject.

With the old charter agreement expiring at the end of this season, multiple team owners have been in constant conversation with NASCAR to devise a new charter agreement that both parties can agree upon. The negotiation window for these talks had expired in January, which stalled the dialogue between both parties, but in the last few months, there has been a lot of speculation over NASCAR's recent charter proposals.

The recent proposals have stirred a lot of controversy in the NASCAR community. In the recent negotiations, NASCAR has reportedly decided to not hand out permanent charters next season. Additionally, the new proposal also includes a provision that allows the France family to buy charters themselves. NASCAR has also signed a new media deal for seven years, and as per reports, the new charter agreement may have the same duration.

Denny Hamlin has been vocal about his opinions on the charter proposals. In a recent episode of the "Kenny Conversation" podcast, hosted by former Cup Series driver and Fox Sports analyst Kenny Wallace, Hamlin expressed his disappointment with the charter agreement. He said:

We've asked NASCAR to just cover our cost, nothing more just cover our cost to go put on this show for you, and the answer has repeatedly been no, you will get what we give you, and you'll like it." [01:12:13]

"We're banging our heads up against the wall, because repeatedly as these negotiations have gone on, there's been no negotiation Kenny. Every proposal they send back to us is worse than the previous. That is factual, it keeps getting worse...We are worse off than we were two years ago, and we are 8 months away from the Daytona 500," he added.

Denny Hamlin's criticism of NASCAR's new charter agreement highlights growing tension between team owners and the league. Hamlin, who also co-owns 23XI Racing, is actively working with other team owners to design a proposal that both parties can agree upon.

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Denny Hamlin gives insight into the impact of not having charters

Charters were introduced in 2016 to regulate NASCAR as a sport. There are currently 36 charters in place that guarantee entry into every race to the 15 teams that hold them. 23XI Racing, co-owned by Denny Hamlin and NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, owns two of those charters.

In the same podcast, Hamlin discussed the absence of charters and its impact. He said:

"The reason Joe Gibbs Racing or Hendrick Motorsports show up every week is because there's a charter deal, we get a payment to show up every single week. If there is no charter deal, we will pick and choose what the best paying races are, and we'll go run those races." [o1:13:08]

"NASCAR needs to understand that the teams, and these drivers, they are the stars and they are the cars, and that is what people come to see each and every week," he added. [01:13:46]

#23 driver Bubba Wallace and #45 driver Tyler Reddick are competing in the Cup Series for Denny Hamlin-led 23XI. Wallace is yet to qualify for the playoffs, and is currently P15 in the driver standings. Teammate Reddick is in P3, and has qualified for the playoffs after securing a win at Talladega.