“Everything Is Going to Manipulate the Outcome of the Race…” – Dale Earnhardt Jr’s Right-Hand Man Warns NASCAR of Wandering Into “Dangerous Territory”

Denny Hamlin landed at the center of controversy after being handed out a penalty following his altercation with Ross Chastain. During the race at Phoenix Raceway, Hamlin had attempted to wreck Chastain. But what cost him was his admission of doing it on purpose during a podcast. Soon after, NASCAR held the Joe Gibbs Racing driver accountable for his actions and decided to hand him a points duck along with a major fine. However, ever since, Hamlin has switched between accepting or appealing NASCAR’s decision.

Recently, during an episode of The Dale Jr. Download podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr and his long-time associate and co-host Mike Davis chimed in and gave their take on the matter. Interestingly, Davis took a stance to defend Hamlin and support his quest for an appeal. He also warned NASCAR about wandering into dangerous territory.

What did the right-hand man of Dale Earnhardt Jr say?

Mike Davis believes that there’s a strong argument against the reasons NASCAR cited for penalizing Denny Hamlin. He pointed out, “Everything is going to manipulate the outcome of the race if that’s how we’re going to define it.”

Every decision by drivers, pit crews, and tire choices can influence the race outcome. Hence, penalizing for race manipulation could lead to a slippery slope as per Davis.

Furthermore, during the conversation with Dale Earnhardt Jr, Davis acknowledged that Hamlin may not have framed his words correctly on his podcast and suggested that he might have been trying to be entertaining. However, he emphasized that the data doesn’t support the claims made by Hamlin, and no one thought anything “egregious” happened.

As per his belief, the analytics and information available from the race itself can determine whether Hamlin’s actions warrant a penalty. Moreover, if the data doesn’t support it, the penalty should be reconsidered or rescinded.

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If NASCAR’s decision is based on Hamlin’s podcast comments, Davis argued, “Well, that’s a dangerous territory too.” He defended Hamlin’s right to express his opinions on a podcast, even if they’re not always factually accurate. He stressed that NASCAR hasn’t claimed to be penalizing Hamlin for his podcast comments and that the data should speak for itself.

Ultimately, Davis believes Hamlin has a compelling case, saying, “I think Denny’s got a compelling case, frankly. I really do.” Ultimately, he hopes that Hamlin gets his points back.

Denny Hamlin changed his mind to appeal the penalty

After his “confession” on the Actions Detrimental podcast, NASCAR docked Hamlin 25 points and handed him a $50,000 fine. Upon initially receiving the penalty Hamlin decided not to pursue an appeal.

However, a couple of days after his initial decision, he decided it would be necessary for him to ask for an appeal.

While he initially thought of not going against the decision, his change of stance could be because of various aspects, one being his relegation down the driver’s standings. Over the tweet, the JGR driver argued that he had not manipulated the race.

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In the end, all we can hope for is a resolution to this as soon as possible. We hope that he would be able to get his points deduction removed entirely.