Denny Hamlin says he was fined for criticizing NASCAR, claiming that races are ‘fixed’
Denny Hamlin says he was fined for criticizing NASCAR for throwing late caution flags at Michigan June 13. // LaDon George, NASCAR Illustrated
LONG POND, Pa. – Denny Hamlin says NASCAR had a “pretty good logbook” of negative comments he made about the sport, and that he was fined, he believes, primarily for tweets, including messages that he said weren’t meant to be public.
Hamlin and Ryan Newman admitted that they were fined recently for comments that NASCAR determined were damaging to the sport. NASCAR has refused to disclose which drivers were fined and how much the fines were for.
“They were [justified], for sure,” Hamlin said of his fine. “Anybody that follows me on Twitter knows I’m opinionated, and that’s probably what half of them follow me for.”
Hamlin criticized NASCAR for throwing late caution flags to help make the June 13 race at Michigan more competitive. Hamlin won that race.
He made similar comments on Twitter about late caution flags in the Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway July 9. One of his public tweets said: “Truthfully, I don’t think it matters to the fans who wins the race as long as its a good ‘show.’ Even if it comes as the expense of competition.”
Hamlin said he knows now what he cannot say publicly.
“You can be opinionated and they want you to be opinionated, you just can’t question whether it’s a fixed sport or not,” Hamlin said. “Because the bottom line is, it’s not fixed. There’s too much out here to chance [for it to be] fixed.”
Hamlin would not confirm reports that he was fined $50,000, but said, “There’s been illegal parts in the garage that have not gotten hit as bad as I did.” He also said he “better play the Lotto” to make back the money.
Hamlin said the fine will make him think about what he says in the future.
“I told them over and over, ‘What if I don’t agree with something? What do you want me to say? Do you want me to lie and tell something that I don’t really truly believe in, because I’ve never been brought up to do that,’” he said.
“They said, ‘No, but there’s different ways to do it.’ … [The fine] was big enough, for sure, [that] if I am in the heat of the moment, I for sure will pull the reins back.”
Hamlin joked that NASCAR hit him with more than just a fine. “Indy was the longest race ever trying to get the lucky dog I never did get,” he said. “They know how to make you pay one way or another.”
The 29-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing driver said he understands why he was fined.
“I’ve always been raised to speak my mind and be, maybe, too over-opinionated at times,” Hamlin said. “I told those guys [at NASCAR] that I hope to be here in 15-20 years, and if that’s the case, I’d like to have a healthy sport to have a long career.
“We’re all in it together, and I understand it.”
The difference between Hamlin’s recent comments and others in the past is that NASCAR warned drivers in January that they could be fined for negative statements, Hamlin said.
“Other people before me, not to name names – Tony Stewart – have said way worse than what I have, way worse direct hits at somebody and got away with it,” Hamlin said. “The difference is this year [NASCAR officials] said in January, ‘This has really taken a toll on people’s outlook of the sport when you say something like that.’
“It showed numbers when they hear something negative, their interest level drops. They said, ‘We’re going to be more aggressive when you say something that’s negative.’ Of course, that’s been six months and my memory is really short so I was just gladly awoken last week.”
While NASCAR officials opted to keep the fines private, Hamlin said they should have publicized which drivers were fined.
“All this coming out is a positive thing,” Hamlin said. “It’s going to turn into a good thing. Even though they may not have wanted everyone to know. Now that they do, I think it happened for reasons that is going to make the sport better.”
Hamlin said there were other positive aspects of him being fined. The money goes to the NASCAR Foundation, which supports some of the same groups as Hamlin’s foundation.
“One way or another it was going to go there anyway,” Hamlin said. “I’m not too upset about that."
And Hamlin found another positive, he said.
“Up until two weeks ago, I didn’t have [NASCAR President] Mike Helton’s phone number or [Senior VP] Steve O’Donnell’s phone number, nobody’s phone number,” Hamlin said. “So how was I going to voice my opinion if I didn’t know how to get in touch with them? I’m sure I could have, but [NASCAR executive] Jim Hunter said, ‘Voice your opinion through the media and it will get to us.’ It’s always worked [in the past].
“I understand there is a better way to do it now. Still, it’s tough for me because I do want to make things better and I never really wanted to criticize anyone. I just wanted to voice my opinion and where I think we should go with the sport.”
