NASCAR is a sport that involves high-speeds and high-stakes, and when accidents happen, the consequences can be severe. This was the case when driver Denny Hamlin crashed into Ross Chastain at the Phoenix Raceway during the closing laps of the race. Hamlin’s accident, which he later revealed to be intentional, resulted in a significant penalty for him with a 25-point deduction along with a $50K fine. Now, when we thought things have died down, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has called out NASCAR, after noticing an inconsistency comparing his situation to Kyle Larson‘s.
In a bonus episode of ‘Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin’ released yesterday entitled, ‘Emergency Podcast Explaining My Case’, Denny Hamlin spoke up about his experience with the penalty decision and appeal.
Denny Hamlin Expresses Frustration Over Penalty Appeal
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He expressed his frustration towards the penalty and said, “I have many examples, I started rolling tape on all these crashes in the last 4 years where drivers openly said he did this to me, so I gave it to him back, on a microphone, right after the race’”
He also cited the example of Kyle Larson and Justin Haley’s Coliseum Clash. He said, “Or sometimes in Kyle Larson’s case after the clash, when he admitted to wrecking Justin Haley and He said, ‘Hey I probably overreacted there’. That’s public, by NASCAR’s rule how is it not the same thing?”
WATCH THIS STORY: “I Think It’s Smarter” Denny Hamlin Reveals Why He Won’t Talk About His Appeal to the $50,000 Ross Chastain Fiasco
A Recap of the Denny Hamlin – Ross Chastain Saga
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For those who aren’t familiar with the situation, here’s a quick recap. During the Phoenix Race, feeling frustrated by the collision that occurred between him and Chastain at the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum, as well as past occurrences, Hamlin made a deliberate choice to seek revenge on Chastain when he fell behind in the race.
Hamlin would probably have escaped without consequences for his actions, but he confessed to deliberately colliding with Chastain on his podcast the day after the race. During an episode of “Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin,” Hamlin admitted to “letting go of the wheel” and stating, “He’s coming with me.”
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This resulted in a penalty caused by violation of Section 4.4 in the NASCAR Rule book. Although Hamlin was quick to appeal this decision, mentioning that what happened on Sunday was common hard racing that happens each and every weekend. There was also no manipulation of the race nor actions detrimental to the sport, the Penalty was upheld by the Panel. Joe Gibbs Racing further confirmed that no more appeals would be made.
After much consideration I’ve decided that I will appeal the decision by NASCAR to penalize me.
What happened on Sunday was common hard racing that happens each and every weekend. There was also no manipulation of the race nor actions detrimental to the sport.— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) March 17, 2023
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As the NASCAR season continues, fans and drivers alike will be watching closely to see how this incident and the resulting penalty will impact Hamlin’s performance and reputation.