Frustrated. That’s how Denny Hamlin will be feeling in the aftermath of the Daytona 500. The Joe Gibbs Racing veteran was in the lead at the final lap of ‘The Great American Race’, and his fourth victory at the crown-jewel event was within his grasp. However, fate had other plans, a lesson that the No. 11 Toyota driver was forced to learn the hard way. With desperation mounting at the 2.5-mile tri-oval, Cole Custer’s No. 41 Ford slammed into the Florida native’s car, resulting in a crash.

The incident was a race-decider for Hamlin, who was forced to finish 24th in the season-opener. To say that he was heartbroken would be an understatement, and his sentiments in the latest iteration of his podcast summed it all up well.

So close, yet so far

Denny Hamlin was on the verge of making history. Despite having no championships to his name, the veteran race almost became the third driver to secure four or more Daytona 500 wins, joining the illustrious company of Richard Petty (seven) and Cale Yarborough (four). However, it was not meant to be, not this year anyway, as the 44-year-old was forced to come to terms with late drama at the ‘World Center of Racing’, which left a bitter taste in his mouth. The Toyota racer has never seriously contemplated retirement before, but the season-opener made him question his future in the sport.

Sharing his thoughts on the Actions Detrimental by Denny Hamlin podcast, the racer candidly said, “I mean, just I woke up p—– yeah, and it’s about everything and it’s like now I know why drivers retire, like, I just, I have that feeling. I just, I’m like, I’m tired of this s— and there’s just a big picture to this.” The Joe Gibbs Racing driver went on to question the crown-jewel event, saying, “Times have changed and I find myself in this position where it’s like, you know, are we now going to start viewing the Daytona 500 winners like we question our champions? Like it’s a bunch of questions now.”

William Byron was in ninth entering the final lap and back in sixth entering Turn 3. The crash allowed him an open run to the checkered flag, securing a win that is marred with luck. Even Byron said after the race, “Obviously some good fortune.” Third-place finisher Jimmie Johnson was down in 10th when the crash occurred and even he managed a top-3 finish after zero top-20 finishes in 12 races with the Next-Gen car!

Hamlin’s sentiments are understandable. The veteran racer did everything he could to break his longstanding winless streak in the Cup Series and even led six laps at Daytona International Speedway. However, the late incident with Custer reinforced the drivers’ cynicism, as he went on to say, “I’ve been part of the sport for over 20 years now, the entertainment of it has far overtaken the sport of it and I don’t know how we reverse things.”

After the 2024 season, Denny Hamlin publicly questioned Joey Logano’s championship triumph, raising questions about the ‘win and in’ playoff format that didn’t feature Kyle Larson in the Championship 4, despite the Hendrick Motorsports driver winning six races. The events at the Daytona 500 have now cemented the racer’s belief that NASCAR prioritizes on-track drama over the sport’s integrity, and he also questioned the media’s narrative claiming that luck-based wins at superspeedways are a “cop-out for those who make stupid moves.” It’s quite evident that Hamlin is not happy with how the season has begun, and his frustration after the season opener is justified to a large extent.

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Denny Hamlin is disappointed at how NASCAR has evolved

“No one holds anyone accountable anymore,” said Denny Hamlin, who shared his thoughts after the Daytona 500. Having competed in the Cup Series for almost two decades, the racer knows a thing or two about how the sport has evolved over the years. Having witnessed the likes of Tony Stewart, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Jeff Gordon race across superspeedways in the past, the Florida native has learned the tricks of the trade by looking at the very best.

However, the current state of affairs has left the veteran racer disillusioned, especially with the role of luck in securing results. Outspoken as ever, Hamlin said, “I hate that for the winners because you know, this is their big moment to shine and you know, it’s a big accomplishment, but I hate the fact of how much luck is involved in NASCAR now.” Highlighting good fortune as key to success, the 44-year-old went on to say, “It’s just a matter of wrecks at superspeedways and I feel like the Daytona 500 is a microcosm of our sport in general when it comes to how we crown our champion now.”

While the season may not have started the way he wanted, Denny Hamlin has plenty of more races to look forward to. The No. 11 Toyota driver is currently on a 26-race winless streak at NASCAR’s highest level but will hope to turn that narrative around in the upcoming AmBetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Having finished as high as 2nd in the Cup Series in 2010, could this finally be the year the Joe Gibbs Racing driver gets his hands on the Bill France Cup? Or will he retire without one? Let us know in the comments below.