At Bristol, the final quarter of the race revealed a troubling reality. Lap times were razor-close—leader Kyle Larson clocked 16 seconds flat, while drivers as far back as 32nd place hit 16.1 seconds. Passing was a pipe dream. Ryan Blaney, matching Larson’s pace, was stuck five positions behind, trapped in a gridlock of cars that refused to yield. The FOX sticker, flashing lap times sporadically, told the story plain as day: the field was too equal, too stagnant.

Bristol Motor Speedway roared with anticipation, but as the checkered flag fell, a heavy silence settled over fans and drivers alike. The race, meant to be a showcase of NASCAR’s raw intensity, instead became a glaring spotlight on its deepest flaws. Denny Hamlin, a seasoned driver for Joe Gibbs Racing and co-owner of 23XI Racing, didn’t mince words. His frustration echoed the sentiments of fans who watched cars crawl in a near-identical pack, unable to break free. The race exposed a truth: NASCAR’s Next Gen car is choking the sport’s competitive spirit.

Denny Hamlin is clueless about any action from NASCAR

The chorus of discontent wasn’t just from the stands. NASCAR legend Richard Petty, a seven-time champion, spoke out, his voice carrying the weight of history. After the 2025 Daytona 500, Petty said, “The way to make it more exciting is give them more horsepower. Let them run faster. The faster they go, the harder the driver must remain on his toes.” Petty’s nostalgia for high-horsepower battles struck a chord, pointing to a time when strategy and daring defined the sport.

Denny Hamlin revealed a sad reality of this situation on his podcast, Actions Detrimental: “I don’t know what we expect. This is the car we built. This is what ownership of NASCAR wanted. They wanted to build a sports car, and we’re gonna race this sports car on all these different tracks, and it just doesn’t race well… I think that there are fixes that we can do to it, but I’m not in charge… I’m part of the NASCAR meetings. There’s nothing on the horizon. There’s been no discussion to, you know, fixing things that really need to be addressed on it. One in particular is just the platform on which we run it on, where the back is squashed down to the ground, the front’s a foot in the air.”

Hamlin’s diagnosis zeroes in on the Next Gen car’s design. The underbody downforce, meant to stabilize cars, kills their ability to maneuver in traffic. Unlike Xfinity cars, where trailing drivers can disrupt the leader’s grip by getting close, Cup cars stay glued to the track, unaffected by pursuers. This robs drivers of tactical tools, turning races into processions.

Hamlin’s fix is to shift to over-body downforce, raise the car’s rear, and boost horsepower to 750 or even 900, as he argued earlier. “The engine bills are the same,” Hamlin explained on SiriusXM NASCAR radio. “The issue seems to be red tape, obviously,” he added. “We’ve heard that NASCAR says, ‘Well, another manufacturer, they’re close, they’re close’, you know, until that happens, I just think why not give the people what they want?”

But NASCAR’s response has been lukewarm at best. President Steve O’Donnell fired back, saying, “Well, it’s interesting that he would bring it up because if we want costs to go way up, OK, we could do that tomorrow,” O’Donnell said. “If you want the OEMs to question why they’re in the sport, and you want to go racing potentially without OEMs and your costs to potentially go way up, we can pull that trigger tomorrow.” O’Donnell’s words feel like a dodge to Hamlin, who had earlier vented about bureaucracy holding them back.

Brad Keselowski’s team insider, Brian Murphy, suggested that the increased horsepower won’t solve anything. He took to X to write, “I’m beyond ecstatic for if/when we add 250HP to this platform and everyone is still disappointed….” The sentiment is clear that Bristol was a wake-up call.

Hamlin’s not just a driver; he’s a voice for a sport at a crossroads. But with no fixes on the horizon, as he admitted, the question looms: will NASCAR act before another race fades into a blur of missed chances? The heart of racing hangs in the balance.

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Hamlin called out Goodyear as well

Still reeling from the Bristol race, Denny Hamlin’s got everyone talking. Kyle Larson owned that track, leading 411 laps like it was his playground. But Hamlin’s not here for the applause, as he’s pointing fingers at Goodyear. “I don’t see Goodyear having enough nerve to soften the tire. I think if it’s over 70 degrees, absolutely. You could come with something more aggressive. And some, that’s faster than slower. Then maybe you get some comers and goers. It’s just the tough, tough balance to have right now.” Hamlin said, shaking his head. He’s frustrated, and it’s totally understandable why.

Bristol’s supposed to be a battleground, not a one-man show. Last fall, Larson led 462 of 500 laps, and fans blamed Goodyear’s tires for killing the competition. However, in the spring race earlier that year, there were 54 lead changes in a thrilling race that saw Denny Hamlin edge out Martin Truex Jr. for the win. And that entertainment was down to the tires. The tires wore off so fast at the 2024 spring Bristol race that Goodyear had to send out an extra set just to complete it!

Hamlin’s gripe has always been with the Next-Gen car, but realizing that the car is an issue that can’t be fixed immediately, he expects something to be done about the tires at least. He added, “You’ve made the drivers the same, you’ve made the cars the same, and now everyone runs the same speed. But now what? These are the unintended consequences you have with parity. No one is going to be able to pass.” With just 4 lead changes and 4 leaders throughout the race, Hamlin hit the nail on the head.

The vibe at Bristol was electric, but something felt off. Larson’s dominance was unreal. Fans want chaos and lead changes, not a parade. Hamlin is calling for change, and it’s personal as he loves Bristol, with four wins there, but he knows it can be better. Goodyear’s tires and NASCAR’s bureaucracy seem to be choking the fight out of these races.

What do you think? Should Goodyear take the matter into their hands? Or is increased horsepower the way to go? Let us know in the comments!