As the Cup Series makes its way to the third drafting track on the calendar, fan expectations are sky high after the stellar Xfinity Series race at Talladega delivered one of the closest finishes in the sport’s 76-year history. However, one of NASCAR’s most vocal critics believes that the days when a driver like Dale Earnhardt could overtake from the midfield and take a trip to victory lane are long gone. To the utter dismay of many fans, Denny Hamlin is under the impression that racing at Talladega Superspeedway is going to continue to be vastly different from the golden days of The Intimidator’s unrivaled dominance.

Denny Hamlin prepares NASCAR fans for the worst ahead of the GEICO 500

It’s no secret that Dale Earnhardt was one of the most formidable forces to ever grace NASCAR’s longest oval. Just consider his last four races at the 2.660-mile track. In both his final and penultimate Cup Series seasons, Earnhardt not only won three out of the four Talladega races but stepped on the podium for all of them. But the most entertaining out of his ten Talladega wins was also his last-ever NASCAR start.

The Intimidator charged through the back of the pack to win the 2000 Winston 500 at Talladega Superspeedway, making it one of the most memorable and action-packed races for veteran fans. That said, Denny Hamlin revealed how the Next Gen car has made such dominance impossible in the modern era. As the drivers now group up at Drafting tracks to form packs and play it safe with their fuel strategy, superspeedway racing has essentially lost its charm for a majority of the community, and Hamlin feels this weekend at Talladega could be a slow burn.

The #11 JGR driver shared with FrontStretch, “For the fans’ sake, I hope it’s not a lot. But we’ll probably have some, just simply because that’s the nature of the game. You want to have the smallest pitstops possible because it is such a track position race. The days of Dale Earnhardt going from wherever to the front just isn’t possible with the way that we draft in the Next Gen cars”

Under the current model of superspeedway racing, track position is of utmost importance if a driver wants a shot at the win. Naturally, this factor has resulted in teams and drivers playing it safer, not going full tilt in hopes of making up time by not refueling as much. Reflecting on this cautiousness, Hamlin stated; “It’s all about track position and we’re just doing everything we can to have that pitstop as short as possible we found that not running 100% through the entire race helps us do that, so not until that last pitstop will you see us kind of going all out”

After taking a look at Denny Hamlin’s realistic viewpoint on the kind of racing fans can expect at Talladega this weekend, it’s safe to say that we may never see another driver bring home ten wins at the beloved superspeedway. But that isn’t the only concern that the 23XI Racer showcased regarding Talladega.

‘Hopefully, it’s not a trend’ – Denny Hamlin’s Talladega fears worsen after NASCAR continues removing scoring pylons

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Over the past few weeks, NASCAR has come under fire from both fans and drivers alike for opting to remove the scoring pylons at a few circuits. However, as officials cited the pylon’s outdated design and limited room as the reasons for its removal, Denny Hamlin has the impression: ‘If it isn’t broken, why fix it?’ While it’s true that the officials have made a $50 Million investment to add bigger screens that face the grandstands, Denny Hamlin revealed how this change robs the in-field of some quality excitement.

According to Hamlin, officials had figured out that the scoring pylons only serviced those in the in-field, and didn’t impact those at home or in the grandstands one bit. Evidently, with all the cost-cutting conversations going around, the removal of the pylon makes sense for the business side of things. But for Denny Hamlin, it isn’t worth the cost paid by those in the in-field.

Speaking from his own experience, Hamlin shared with FrontStretch; “Every time I go through a tunnel, and it might be just me, the first thing I do is look at the scoring pylon and see who’s where, so maybe it’s more of a sentimental thing from a purist like myself….I think it started with Bristol, taking some out, and then it was Watkins Glen that I noticed, and obviously, last week and then now this week, so hopefully it’s not a trend.”

The 23XI co-owner also pointed out how those moments in qualifying when a driver’s name would flash on the pylon to reveal their position were a vital part of the NASCAR experience. That said, do you think the officials are straying further away from what ‘purists’ such as Denny Hamlin desire?