"Safety should always be number one": Denny Hamlin weighs in on Ambetter Health 400 ending under caution

Denny Hamlin recently weighed in on the importance of safety in NASCAR in light of last Sunday’s chaotic Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

In addition to 50 lead changes by 15 different drivers, the event witnessed 11 cautions, the last of which has perhaps birthed the most controversies. As Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, and Carson Hocevar battled it out for the win, a multi-car wreck behind the leaders caused the yellow to come out.

As per the rules, the field was frozen, and Bell was declared the winner. However, many currently believe NASCAR should have allowed the field to race under green, but Hamlin disagrees.

In the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver said (as reported by journalist Jeff Gluck on X),

“I can assure you there's not a driver in the field who would want that race to stay green, given the scenarios that were going on. ... The race had to end under caution. Let's at least applaud them on making the right call for safety, because safety should always be number one and entertainment should be number two."

Hamlin placed sixth in this year’s Ambetter Health 400, marking his first top-10 of the season. As of today, he sits 13th in points, right behind Bell, his teammate at JGR. Hamlin’s next race is scheduled for March 2 at Circuit of The Americas.

Named EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix, the 95-lap event will be televised on FOX from 3:30 pm ET onwards. Fans can also listen to live radio updates on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

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Denny Hamlin comes clean on retirement, says he’s not done yet

Denny Hamlin, who is currently in his 20th year with Joe Gibbs Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, will turn 45 this year in November. Considering the same, the Toyota star opened up about his retirement in an interview ahead of this year’s Daytona 500.

Hamlin acknowledges his reflexes won't always be at their peak. He knows that one day he'll wake up and realize that his racing career is over. But until that day comes, the Tampa native has no intentions of slowing down.

"There’ll be a day when I wake up and I don’t have the skill set that I had before,” said Denny Hamlin. “I don’t know when that day is. I don’t feel like it’s right now. I feel as sharp as I ever have behind the wheel."

“I’m no dummy," he further stated. “I understand that Father Time is gonna feed you. Especially in our sport where reaction times are probably the most important thing."

Throughout his career, Denny Hamlin has amassed 54 series victories, including wins in the Coca-Cola 600, the Daytona 500, and the Southern 500. He also holds the record for most wins without a championship among the current Cup Series regulars.

Even if he retires from formal full-time racing, there’s no reason to think that he will give up racing altogether. His former JGR teammate Martin Truex Jr. did not, and neither did Jimmie Johnson or Dale Earnhardt Jr. Furthermore, Hamlin owns 23XI Racing alongside basketball legend Michael Jordan, so, needless to say, he'll remain very much involved even after retirement.