It was never going to be received well. NASCAR’s decision to allow ‘celebrity’ drivers to compete in the Cup Series was always going to be met with severe backlash. After all, the rule change undermines the competition itself, allowing racers who have never competed in the stock car series to participate in ‘crown jewel’ events while established veterans were forced to compete in the qualification process. Is publicity really that important for the sanctioning body to resort to such measures?

Amidst the ongoing lawsuit against NASCAR, 23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin left a message on X, making his thoughts on the latest rule changes known. The post led to plenty of reaction from fans as well, who didn’t hesitate to make their voices heard on social media.

Denny Hamlin leaves a cryptic message amidst rule changes

Few IndyCar drivers have as illustrious a resume as Helio Castroneves. The 49-year-old has won the Indianapolis 500 four times and has shown his versatility with three wins at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona as well. However, the veteran driver is all set to undertake a brand-new motorsports adventure at Daytona International Speedway, after being given the rare opportunity to compete in the season-opening ‘crown jewel’ Daytona 500 race. The Brazilian hasn’t competed on the 2.5-mile oval in two decades, with his last appearance coming during his IROC days.

Although Castroneves will be attempting to qualify for the Daytona 500, the result will be irrelevant. The Brazilian is competing in the ‘open category’ as part of Trackhouse Racing’s Project 91 team. However, NASCAR recently added an ‘Open Exemption Provisional’ to the rulebook, which means the race will have 41 teams if Castroneves fails during the qualification process. The decision seemed bizarre to Denny Hamlin, who couldn’t help but write, “Lol. Wow.”

Competing at iconic events, especially the Daytona 500 should be a privilege that must be earned on merit, instead, the sanctioning body has chosen to hand it over because a driver has the appeal and stature that will bring with it more eyeballs. At the same time, seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson will be forced to qualify for a race he has regularly featured in since 2002.

If the tables were turned, would Formula 1 or IndyCar extend a similar favor toward Kyle Larson? Unlikely, as it goes against the spirit of competition. The ruling may come to hurt NASCAR in the long run and affect the sport’s image on the international stage if all it takes for a celebrity driver to compete in the Cup Series is ‘popularity’. Taking these factors into account, it’s not surprising that fans were infuriated with NASCAR’s ruling, with many responding to Denny Hamlin’s tweet and expressing their thoughts about the situation.

Fans dissatisfied with NASCAR’s celebrity preference

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As expected, it didn’t take long for NASCAR fans to share their thoughts about the ‘Open Exemption Provisional’ rule change. Responding to Denny Hamlin’s tweet, a NASCAR fan echoed the sentiments of the 23XI Racing co-owner and went on to say, “I know when I heard the news I said the same thing, Danny!” Another fan wanted to hear the Joe Gibbs Racing driver’s thoughts in more detail in the latest iteration of the Actions Detrimental podcast and said, “Can we get an emergency podcast with your reaction to the rule changes.”

A motorsports enthusiast found it staggering that Jimmie Johnson, who has won the Cup Series more times than any other driver would be forced to take part in qualification for the Daytona 500, while Helio Castroneves will be given an automatic berth at the event. Highlighting NASCAR’s favoritism, the fan wrote, “No disrespect at all to Helio but it’s wild that he is guaranteed in the show but Jimmie Johnson is not.” Another fan found it difficult to believe that an open-category team was being given a guaranteed spot for a crown-jewel race and went on to write, “Man, NASCAR changing the rules as they go. Guaranteeing a non-charted team to make a race.”

With Castroneves being given a shot at the 2025 Daytona 500, a NASCAR fan joked that the new rule changes could be rigged to suit 23XI Racing. Responding to Hamlin’s tweet, an X user boldly wrote, “Ask Louis Hamilton to get in a 4th 23Xi car every week”, as the strategy would ensure the racing team will have an ‘unofficial’ fourth charter in the Cup Series. It remains to be seen which other ‘celebrity’ drivers take part in the 2025 season going forward, even though NASCAR’s decision seems to be an unpopular one.