“We need to stop saying it’s for $1 million” - Denny Hamlin thinks NASCAR needs to market the All-Star Race differently

Professional NASCAR Cup Series driver and team owner Denny Hamlin is one of the most experienced drivers currently racing in the highest echelon of the sport.

The Tampa, Florida native has had over 20 years of experience behind the wheel of a stock car and knows his way around the NASCAR circus.

As teams and drivers head to Texas Motor Speedway this weekend for the All-Star Race, Hamlin voiced his opinion on the same.

The weekend offers drivers a chance to win $1 million in prize money for taking the checkered flag in the first place, instead of any team or driver points. The format of the weekend is also different from regular point-scoring races.

The main event on Sunday consists of a total of 24 drivers on the grid. 20 of these drivers are selected on the basis of a win in a point-scoring or All-Star Race and championships since 2021.

Three more drivers get a chance to compete if they win a stage in the All-Star Open, which precedes the main race, and the final driver is chosen by fan votes.

Hamlin recently spoke on the focus the governing body has been putting on marketing the All-Star weekend as a race for money. The 41-year-old thinks the age-old tradition needs to be brought up to date and said:

"I think it needs to be a big event and I personally think we need to stop saying it's for $1 million, it's like our promotional tagline. It's been that way for thirty years so we gotta update a little bit."

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver also went onto elaborate on his thoughts about the refreshed format for the All-Star Race this weekend. He joked about the complexity of the same and said:

"No, I saw the format, it just looked like a bunch of fine-print to me so it was very hard to figure out! I wasn't in the mindset when I saw it come out to like try to process the whole thing."

Watch the complete interview below:

Denny Hamlin achieved 200 career top-fives with a fourth-place finish at AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway

NASCAR Cup Series veteran Denny Hamlin has been a part of the sport for more than twenty years. Despite not having won a championship yet, the 41-year-old boasts some serious records and statistics.

Last weekend's AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway saw Hamlin add a 200th career top-five finish to his name after finishing in fourth place for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Catch Denny Hamlin on track at Texas Motor Speedway as drivers battle it out on track for $1 million in prize money.