Denny Hamlin Leads the Charge on NASCAR’s “Shameful” Act Ruining Years of Tradition

NASCAR is a sport steeped in tradition, and some would also say that the tradition adds to the sport’s lore. However, the organizers recently decided on the iconic Talladega Superspeedway, which has not sat well with several drivers and insiders. The track’s scoring pylon is one of the most recognizable features, and it has helped drivers and teams see their positions for decades. So when the decision to remove it was taken (because it was outdated), not everyone was happy, and how could Denny Hamlin miss out on the bunch?

Denny Hamlin questions the authority and compares it to other sports

Veteran motorsports journalist Bob Pockrass shared the update on his official X handle; since then, everybody has had a strong opinion against it. Pockrass also revealed NASCAR’s replacement for the pylon to be the big screens facing the grandstand. For the people on the infield, they added strips behind the screen that show the car numbers and their position. The issue here was never about understanding who was running where. Rather, it’s all about tradition.

Denny Hamlin took to X to express his dissatisfaction with the matter as he urged NASCAR to simply upgrade the pylon instead of removing it entirely. “Well, upgrade it then, like every other sporting facility in the world is doing. No one is taking visual displays away,” he wrote. Joe Gibbs Racing Star was not the only driver who took issue with this. Hendrick Motorsports star William Byron was also not happy about it and tweeted, “Yeah, can we not mess with tradition?”

As per journalist Kelly Crandall, veterans A.J. Allmendinger and Justin Allgaier were also huge proponents of keeping the pylon, as it helps them see where they are during the race. Drivers weren’t the only people who took issue with this matter. Several insiders, like crew chiefs and spotters, were also quite disappointed with their traditions being messed with.

Crew chiefs and spotters join the criticism train on social media

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Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gabehart, commented on Byron’s tweet, expressing his confusion about taking away a facility that let everyone know where their car was quickly. “I don’t even understand the point. There is no more efficient way to quickly know where your team is running than a ~30-car pylon. Confusing,” he tweeted. Spotters Freddie Kraft and Brett Griffin were also quite confused, as the latter called NASCAR’s decision, “Shameful.“

Kraft said that it would take his attention away from the on-track action on his phone. Perhaps the giant screens installed are not quite as visible from the spotter’s position as the pylon was. “Just what you wanna do, go see a race live and have to check your phone constantly for updates lol. If I’m going to a hockey game next week, should I check my phone to see how much time is left in the period? Or just stick with the giant scoreboard?” he tweeted as a reply to a fan.

Clearly, removing the pylon was not one of NASCAR’s brightest decisions, as the response on social media seems largely negative. Do you agree with the naysayers, or are they just making a mountain out of a molehill? Let us know your thoughts.