Denny Hamlin comment on NASCAR’s waiver, Linking Kyle Larson’s Waiver to Tony Stewart’s Exit.

Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, and Kyle Larson NASCAR is no less in disarray today than it was when the 2024 racing season started. The incomplete charter negotiations, Stewart-Haas Racing’s revelation that it will suspend operations at the conclusion of the season, and Kyle Larson’s playoff waiver intrigue are all part of a larger mess. With the thick gloomy clouds generating much concern, Denny Hamlin has once again blamed NASCAR.

The Joe Gibbs Racing star believes that the unusual wait preceding NASCAR’s approval of Larson’s playoff waiver request, as well as the closing of Stewart-Haas Racing, are both due to the sanctioning body’s superiority complex. He stated on the most recent episode of Actions Detrimental that NASCAR incorrectly believes that their show will continue with or without certain drivers or teams.

His statements went like this: “There is someone in NASCAR headquarters who does not enjoy playing second fiddle and believes that if you’re going to be over here, you should be over here, and you’re now ours. So when he [Larson] chose Indianapolis over the Coke 600, that individual was insulted, and you never know what they’re going to do or what decision they’ll make.”

He continued to note how it wouldn’t be surprising if NASCAR made up a rule to allow Larson to remain in contention for the championship but stripped him of all the playoff points that he’d earned that far. Of course, the promotion announced after the episode aired that Larson would be allowed to race for the championship while retaining his playoff points. But Hamlin’s contention isn’t nullified by that.

How NASCAR’s dictator approach could’ve resulted in Stewart-Haas Racing deciding to split

Hamlin continues to pitch the idea that NASCAR is mistaken in its thought that it will be able to put on a good show regardless of which driver or team exits the field. He believes that the sport is not what it used to be and that the promotion needs to be careful about its “superior” mentality. “That is a very dangerous way to think because these teams and drivers are the show,” he said.

Talking about the closure of Stewart-Haas Racing he contended that the reluctance of NASCAR in sharing a fairer share of its revenue from media and other venues with its team would have forced the team’s owners to call it quits. “I just think Tony Stewart and Gene Haas are done with the headache of NASCAR. And the headache of being in it,” he concluded.