“Its like a 24 hour defense line”: Denny Hamlin gives his verdict about NASCAR’s road course ringers

NASCAR's first road course race for the 2023 season attracted many drivers from different racing categories. The EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix at the Circuit of the Americas had a star-studded entry list. It featured F1 champions Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen, SportsCar ace Jordan Taylor, and IndyCar driver Conor Daly.

The guest entrants fared well in the qualifying session. However, on Sunday, the 'road course specialists' received more bumps than what they had bargained for.

While respecting NASCAR's style of driving, these drivers voiced their opinions about the rough treatment they received in the race. Their views garnered criticism from some media members and fans online.

Denny Hamlin, however, was quick to defend the road course ringers, opining that every driver's opinion must be respected. Replying to a tweet in agreement, he said:

"Agree 100. Facts are you should not trust the bias judgment of some media members. Not every caller is wrong. Not every driver who questions how we can be better is wrong. Its like a 24 hour defense line."

The #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver added:

"3 guys we put on a pedestal before the race as some of the best and most talented drivers ALL came out of the event saying it was ridiculous. Now all the sudden we wanna dismiss it? -Yep, nothing to see here, it’s what we do."

Denny Hamlin believes that the opinions of the guest entrants could help NASCAR improve its racing. He urged critics to respect every driver's point of view as their insight could improve standards in the premier stock car racing series.

NASCAR's road course events have been infamous for regular drivers being more aggressive. While most drivers don't intentionally bump into other cars, they do so to exploit the advantages of next-gen cars.

As they approach tighter turns, the Cup Series drivers bump into the cars ahead of them instead of braking. This was clearly evident at turn one in COTA. Such maneuvers caused the race to be extended to triple overtime, which frustrated the guest entrants and many regular drivers.

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What did NASCAR's road course ringers say?

Jenson Button, Kimi Raikkonen, and Jordan Taylor were the three drivers whose opinions grabbed the headlines. While Raikkonen was not surprised by the chaos surrounding him, Button and Taylor, on their debut NASCAR outing, were left baffled. The three drivers were in the thick of the action in a caution-filled race.

The 2009 F1 champion admitted that stock car racing didn't suit his natural style and took him a while to learn the racecraft. He also mentioned that he had never hit a car intentionally.

IMSA driver Taylor was vocal about the driving standards. He admitted that he drove most of the race in 'survival mode' while getting smashed from all sides. He expected the drivers to be more respectful and calculative while making moves.