Denny Hamlin’s Peers Decipher Why Rick Hendrick Would Never Let His Drivers Join Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Venture

As a sport where speed reigns supreme, NASCAR also features off-track battles of words and opinions. Recently, a spotlight shone on a rather interesting question. Would Rick Hendrick, the mastermind behind Hendrick Motorsports, allow his drivers to join Dale Earnhardt Jr.‘s media ventures? This question arises due to the fiery controversies sparked by Jeff Gordon‘s comments on Denny Hamlin.

The recent controversy between Gordon and Hamlin brought forth a debate on driver behavior. Gordon voiced his concerns about Hamlin’s off-track approach. Suggesting that it could be too distracting for a team and sponsors. The four-time Cup champion mentioned the importance of drivers building their brand through their on-track performance and social media presence while staying clear of controversy.

It will be too risky for Rick Hendrick to let his drivers join Dale Earnhardt Jr’s platform

Hamlin’s involvement in Dale Jr’s Dirty Mo Media production has become a center of attention. The podcast serves as a platform for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver to express his opinions, often riling up fans and earning him boos on race days. This is the situation that begs the Rick Hendrick question in the first place. And so, Dirty Mo Live took it up to settle the question.

Mike Davis initiated the conversation by asking, “If I wanted to go get a Hendrick Motorsports driver to do a Dirty Mo Media podcast, would that be able… is that even a possibility?”

“I think the answer to that is no.” Hearing this, Travis Rockhold speculated, “Well, you have to think that part of it is the podcast. Because Denny did get fined for comments on a podcast. So I’m guessing that could be a part of it.”

Dalton Greco pointed out the importance of consistency in Hendrick Motorsports. “Yeah, that’s what I meant by consistency. It’s like they’re raising their floor, right? So like they’re all at the same level. Whereas you have other drivers who are doing a lot of this with their comments and opinions.”

“And that’s what I don’t like,” Travis added. “Like I want Ross [Chastain] to be out there and be kind of reckless because it’s entertaining, and it helps the sport.”

“Well, and look at Hendrick’s driver lineup. I mean, you have Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott, arguably the two most popular drivers in the sport right now. Not to say that Byron and Bowman are not. But they’re absolutely leading that ship in terms of popularity. Denny Hamlin gets mostly boos on Sundays,” Andrew concluded.

While Rick Hendrick won’t let their drivers cause any trouble for their own, Chase Elliott is out there creating trouble for other teams. But it might not be what you expect.

Watch This Story: Jeff Gordon’s Take on Denny Hamlin’s Villain Persona

Despite missing races and eventually the playoffs, Chase Elliott has shaken up standings, ousting a certain driver

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While Chase Elliott is not a playoff driver this year, his recent performance has thrown a curveball into the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs. Elliott’s absence from the playoffs has had a ripple effect. His replacements in the races he missed still accumulated points, securing the 16th spot in the owner playoffs. However, this decision impacted Bubba Wallace‘s #23 team, which narrowly missed the postseason. The complications continued as both Elliott’s #9 team and Wallace’s #23 team advanced from the round of 16 to the round of 12, leading to the elimination of four other drivers’ teams.

Yet, the situation took a unique twist in the round of 12. Wallace didn’t advance, while Elliott’s team once again moved on. The complexities deepened as driver and owner playoffs maintained distinct fields and different cut lines. With nine drivers technically vying for championships, the racing world finds itself in an unprecedented situation.

READ MORE: Chase Elliott Goes on a Ballistic Rant Against “Parking Lot” Charlotte Roval as He Dissects Every Flaw With Chicago’s Antagonist