“Look for some paperwork”: Denny Hamlin offers new perspective on recent NASCAR report regarding playoff tracks

Denny Hamlin has proposed a different notion about the recent report regarding the rescheduling of the playoff tracks. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver noted the business aspect of the Ovals' bid to host the playoff races.

The 2025 season will witness some big-time changes as per such reports. Not only will the charter system have a new look next season but three regular season tracks are expected to make their way into the playoffs calendar.

These are World Wide Technology Raceway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Darlington, which is set to return after getting scraped off this year due to the 2024 Paris Olympics. Thus, Watkins Glen International, Homestead-Miami Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway might be moved out of the playoffs and into the regular season.

Though NASCAR insider Jordan Bianchi revealed that the inclement weather conditions at the tracks are the reason behind the switch, Denny Hamlin believes otherwise.

According to Hamlin, NASCAR might acquire the independently owned tracks before adding them to the playoffs calendar. He said (via Dirty Mo Media):

"It's interesting that they would put an independently owned track in the playoffs. I know it's not unprecedented but it makes me wonder, 'Is NASCAR about to buy St. Louis [Gateway Motorsports Park]?' Atlanta [is owned by] SMI, Watkins Glen [by] NASCAR, Homestead [by] NASCAR." [51:57]

"Moving back in [is] Darlington," the co-host said.

"[owned by] NASCAR," Hamlin replied.

"New Hampshire," the co-host added.

"[owned by] SMI perhaps," the JGR driver noted.

"Perhaps Gateway," the co-host said.

"Perhaps [owned by] NASCAR," Hamlin replied.

"I'm just doing the math and I'm like, 'NASCAR's willing to take a date from itself?' People look at the tracks and that's the easy knee-jerk reaction. I'm more look-at-the-business, like, 'Hmm they're [NASCAR] going to take a date from themselves and give it to an independent track?' Look for some paperwork to be filed," Hamlin added, outlining the potential of NASCAR owning the independently owned tracks.

Denny Hamlin also outlined the involvement of money in Phoenix Raceway's repeated return as the host of the championship finale race.

---

Denny Hamlin highlights Homestead having hosted no Cup Series championship race since 2020

After the COVID-19 pandemic struck the world in 2020, Phoenix Raceway replaced Homestead-Miami Speedway as the host of the final dash. However, since then, Homestead hasn't been able to schedule a single Cup Series championship race on its asphalt.

Even though the 1.5-mile oval is among the favorites for the fans and the drivers, the Speedway's bid to return as the host of the championship finale race was rendered useless as Phoenix Raceway has, without fail, secured consecutive deals since 2020.

Denny Hamlin believes that because "Phoenix pays" NASCAR, the short track kept returning as the host of the season finale race. Meanwhile, Homestead-Miami Speedway struggled to gather sufficient funds, he said on the aforementioned podcast.

"Phoenix pays NASCAR. The city or the state or somebody pays NASCAR for the final race to be there. We don't see any of that money but they do and apparently Homestead was scrounging up some change to throw their name in the hat to be back part of the championship weekend," Hamlin said. [53:21]

If the reported changes come to fruition, the problem of inclement weather conditions delaying the slated races might be avoided as the hot weather tracks like Homestead-Miami could provide a week's buffer by entering the regular season schedule.