If a fan types “Dale Earnhardt quotes” on Google, he’d likely find an array of opinionated sayings by the great intimidator. But why hasn’t there been anyone to intimidate since Dale Earnhardt senior? Or, why hasn’t there been another trash-talker like Tony Stewart? Most of the contemporary NASCAR drivers today seem to have lost their voice and seldom do they express their likes and dislikes about the sport. Surely, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin is an exception. However, not everyone is, or maybe not everyone can become Denny Hamlin.

There was a time when Formula 1 was not even on the radar of motorsport enthusiasts in the US. And that is exactly what Danica Patrick commented on a tweet shared by reporter Adam Stern. F1 seems to have overshadowed NASCAR in terms of fame. The Indy Japan 300 winner Danica Patrick had someone to blame for this. And to her mirth, even Kenny Wallace agreed to Patrick’s opinion.

Danica Patrick took a jab at today’s stock car drivers

Just food for thought; why was Hailie Deegan in such a precarious situation weeks before she finally made it to the 2024 Xfinity Series season driving for AM Racing? The young speedster herself admitted that it was the lack of sponsorship that was holding her back. Just a one-year ride required as much as $4 to $5 million in the Xfinity Series. Hence, one could only try to contemplate what it takes to land a spot in the Cup Series.

And that is exactly where sponsors come in. A sponsor pays for a team’s entry and the driver becomes a representative of that brand as he drives his cherished ride. The more the driver wins, the better for the sponsors. Everything looks bright on the surface, but that comes with a downside.

Imagine what would happen if a driver says something seemingly controversial or strongly opinionated on camera? This may not sit well for many and instantly, the business for the company that’s sponsoring him would drop. Therefore, the companies, more often than not, enforce a strict no-reaction policy that prevents them from speaking their minds. Hate it or love it. This is the brutal reality of today’s NASCAR world. And Danica Patrick vehemently disagrees with these turn of events!

Patrick believes that this attitude is what’s holding the drivers back from attaining stardom. And even Kenny Wallace agreed. Wallace said, “A NASCAR driver could walk right down the street, go anywhere nowadays and nobody knows who the h*ll they are!” Patrick couldn’t have agreed more. She retweeted Wallace’s post saying “God I love you Kenny!!! 😂 can’t wait to see if any drivers take your advice! 🙌🏼”

However, it’s true that the sponsors pay for the influence that they have on the sport. Even if one invests millions of dollars in charters, the smooth running of a team eventually comes down to the sponsors that they have. Once they run out of sponsorships, they might as well sell out their charters in exchange for a livelihood.

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But, this is not the driver’s fault. Even though Danica Patrick would perhaps want them to start “talking sh*t” more often, their hands are tied. In recent times, conversations have been rife on whether drivers should get more autonomy when it comes to their on-screen personas. On that note, NASCAR’s bad boy acquitted the drivers of the charges against them.

The “villain” backs his fellow drivers, stating the biggest drawback of their soft-spoken demeanor

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Denny Hamlin is perhaps one of those drivers who cares the least about what the fans think of him. The 23XI co-owner speaks his heart out whether you agree with it or not! But isn’t that what makes Denny Hamlin so fun to watch?

Surely, Hamlin’s antics have made him what he is today; a villain, if you will, in the arena of NASCAR. But that hasn’t stunted his growth even a bit. Even though he will probably never win the Most Popular Driver award, it’s arguably him that the fans talk about more than any driver out there. May might say that Denny Hamlin’s guts are unmatched and therefore, he is one of a kind.

In an episode of his podcast ‘Actions Detrimental’, Hamlin exclaimed that it drove him crazy that nobody has what it takes to be honest. Nevertheless, he admitted, “It’s not the driver’s fault because they’ve clearly got white collars standing over the back of them, making sure they don’t do it. That’s not good; that’s stunting growth. That is stunting star power.”

“I believe we have stars in our sports,, but they will never get seen because you’ve got that mentality looking over their shoulders,” he added.

Do you feel drivers should be allowed to express their opinions more freely? Let us know in the comments below!

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