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Denny Hamlin and 23XI Racing had a huge sigh of relief after knowing that they would be competing in the 2025 NASCAR season as a chartered team. Well, we have seen Hamlin trade blows against the sanctioning body in the past with his staunch opinions and verdict. But when it came to the business aspect of running a race team, he just couldn’t agree with NASCAR on the charter agreement. While there was a back and forth, the dispute ultimately ended up in the court.

Now this isn’t the best time for Hamlin as a driver to go up against the France family. After all, he is the oldest driver in the Cup Series and is aiming to claim his first championship trophy. Batting out for his team at 23XI Racing and committing himself to a full-time role at JGR is indeed a tricky task. It’s hard to believe that the off-track drama isn’t somehow going to affect his racing. We saw hints of that during last year’s playoff, where he wasn’t in his element and missed out on the championship race third year in a row.

With both NASCAR and Denny Hamlin not seeing eye-to-eye, could this rift trickle down to what happens on the racetrack? Will NASCAR in some, shape or form jeopardize Hamlin or 23XI Racing’s on-track performance? Well, the veteran JGR driver believes he shares a mutual respect with everyone at NASCAR and their working relationship won’t change.

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Denny Hamlin is on good terms with NASCAR 

Well, despite their arguments and disputes in the court, both NASCAR and Denny Hamlin have been professional when it comes to racing. This was evident last year when the driver opened up about the heartfelt gesture he received from NASCAR’s top brass. NASCAR President Steve Phelps to Hamlin that he would be happy to hand him the Bill France trophy if he won the championship. As far as the driver is concerned, he feels that this relationship will remain the same this year.

I hope so. Certainly, we got to find a way to coexist, and certainly, as a driver, I’ve given a lot into this sport. As an owner, I’ve given a ton into this sport, so certainly, hopefully, yeah, everyone’s going to be the same as they always have. Even at the end of last year, all the NASCAR executives I interacted with were great.” Hamlin said this in an interview with Bob Pockrass.

It feels like 23XI Racing and FRM have won the initial rounds in their legal battle against NASCAR. Had it not been for the injunction, Hamlin’s team would have been forced to roll out open entries. With an already competitive sponsorship market and unable to enjoy the benefit of being a charted team would’ve hurt them a lot. They were already painting the doomsday scenario in their heads when their initial request for the preliminary injunction was dismissed. “It certainly, certainly was [nerve-wracking] for sure. It felt like we were deserving of having our charters through this system, and obviously, it worked out that way,” Hamlin admitted.

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Is NASCAR's integrity at risk with its growing gambling ties, as Denny Hamlin suggests?

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The battle is only half won as NASCAR and the two teams will face off NASCAR in court on anti-trust grounds. It is hard to predict the outcome of this dispute, but it will certainly change how the sport is run. Both the parties will get the opportunity to present their arguments and the judge has set the dates for the first jury trials on December 1. While there’s clarity on what the outcome of this dispute will be, Hamlin seems to have found another important issue surrounding NASCAR.

Denny Hamlin Sounds the Alarm: NASCAR’s Gambling Ties and the Fight for Integrity

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Denny Hamlin isn’t shocked that NASCAR is tightening the rulebook for 2025. After last year’s controversial Martinsville race—where accusations of race manipulation ran rampant—the sanctioning body had no choice but to act. But for Hamlin, this isn’t just about the sport’s integrity; it’s about something much bigger: money, and more specifically, NASCAR’s growing ties to the gambling industry.

With NASCAR generating an estimated $610.7 million in betting revenue, maintaining credibility isn’t optional—it’s essential. The sport’s partnerships with BetMGM, DraftKings, and other gaming giants hinge on fans trusting that every lap, every pass, and every finish is real. “When you bet on NASCAR as a consumer, you’re hoping you get the same integrity as you get in the NFL,” Hamlin explained on the Actions Detrimental podcast. “There’s the person paying out these bets, but it’s also people making the lines. They’re basing it off of what a normal played-out finish would be.”

These concerns by Hamlin are indeed true, especially with what happened last year at Martinsville Speedway. The drivers themselves tried to manipulate the outcome of the race and this in some way could play a big role in NASCAR’s betting adventures. “I appreciate what they’re trying to do, and that is keep the integrity of the sport. We have this thing, the old ‘dam of legitimacy’ with NASCAR right? And it’s got a lot of cracks in it and we’re just trying to stop the water from flowing here right? So I think, this is you know, they had seen too much from Martinsville and said, ‘It’s getting out of control now.”

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For NASCAR, the stakes have never been higher. The sport can’t afford to gamble with its integrity—because this time, the house might not win.

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Is NASCAR's integrity at risk with its growing gambling ties, as Denny Hamlin suggests?

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