Denny Hamlin has not hesitated in the past and has openly spoke about drivers’ concerns and NASCAR’s sometimes half-hearted efforts to address them. Last year was a perfect example when he discussed safety issues with the Next Gen car and the organization’s ineffectiveness in communicating about them with drivers.
This week, on Twitter, Hamlin revealed that while there has been improvement in those lines of communication, there is still a long way to go.
Denny Hamlin criticized NASCAR for lack of communication last year
Last summer, Denny Hamlin made no secret of his displeasure when he suggested that NASCAR was not providing drivers with enough safety information about the Next Gen car.
“As far as the crashes, I asked two NASCAR officials. I didn’t get an answer. To me, that makes it even scarier,” Hamlin admitted bluntly. “My goodness, the gap that exists right now between all the stakeholders — NASCAR, the tracks and all the drivers — is hard to bridge. It’s not a good place to be.”
Asked whether drivers should band together and form their own council, which previously existed, Hamlin did not give specific answers but offered his thoughts on next steps.
“In seven years, I’ll just be a team owner, but these drivers need to get organized,” he said. “Their safety is at stake. They need to know what they’re getting into. So they need to get organized and have a voice. They deserve a seat at the table, whatever it may be.”
Interestingly, Hamlin was accompanied by Kevin Harvick, who also spoke on the topic.
“As we sat in the driver meeting that NASCAR had with us (in May) to show us everything, I think the most frustrating part of the whole process is the fact that the driver safety part and the conversation with the drivers, which was requested by the drivers, came at the very end of everything,” Harvick said. “And when you look at it, I think the guys that are driving the cars deserve at least the respect to at least be a part of the process of what’s going on. Everybody’s just a little frustrated with how this whole thing has been handled.”
Denny Hamlin Joins Kevin Harvick’s Crew Chief in Denunciation of NASCAR
This week, Kevin Harvick’s crew chief Rodney Childers, who has used social media in the past Denny Hamlin, who wanted to draw attention to certain things, was at it again. This time, Childers indirectly called out NASCAR in response to a tweet from Fox’s Bob Pockrass, which revealed a new rain flap requirement for Cup cars on rainy road courses — information the teams apparently hadn’t been informed of yet.
“I’m so glad you sent all this so we can know what we’re doing,” Childers responded to the reporter’s tweet.
“It’s so true,” added Denny Hamlin, making it clear that there is still a lack of communication between the governing body and the teams.
Member of the newly formed Drivers’ Council
While Hamlin and likely all drivers are frustrated by NASCAR’s continued miscommunication, they are at least now trying to do something proactively. Daytona 500 Winner was part of an announcement last month about a new Drivers Advisory Council, created to foster an open line of communication with NASCAR, track operators and industry stakeholders.
Hamlin will serve on the council’s board of directors and will be joined by Cup champions Kurt Busch and Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, Corey LaJoie, Daniel Suarez and Kyle Petty. NBC analyst and former driver Jeff Burton, known as “The Mayor of NASCAR,” will serve as the group’s director.
Based on the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s latest Twitter activity, the board has not met with NASCAR officials. Hopefully, when all the stakeholders finally meet, teams will no longer need suggestive tweets because whatever issues they may be will at least be on the way to being resolved.
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