“I know the tactics it takes to win.” Those were Denny Hamlin’s words before the 2025 Daytona 500. The three-time winner believed he had the skill and experience to take home his fourth Harley J. Earl Trophy. His confidence was backed by a strong qualifying session. But Daytona is unpredictable, and Hamlin learned that the hard way.

The veteran driver was leading the pack in the last lap of the 200-lap spectacle. He played his moves perfectly and was eyeing his fourth Daytona 500 victory. But a chaotic last-lap wreck changed everything. Hamlin got caught up in the mess, and William Byron escaped to take the win. This was Hamlin’s best chance in the last four seasons to win at Daytona, but everything ended in frustration and disappointment.

The result took a toll on Hamlin, as he claimed that the race was more about luck than skill. He argued that NASCAR’s biggest event is no longer a test of racing ability. While many fans resonated with his comments, NASCAR insider Mike Forde was quick to shut his complaints. He quoted some race data to back Byron’s win.

NASCAR insider backs William Byron!

Denny Hamlin has been one of the most dominant drivers at Daytona. He always finished in the Top 5 during the Daytona 500 between 2016 and 2021. However, the introduction of the Next-Gen car in 2022 has limited his success. Since then, he has struggled to find the same level of performance on superspeedways. The last lap wreck added to his growing frustration as he slammed NASCAR’s approach to racing at superspeedways.

On his Actions Detrimental podcast, he argued that the race no longer rewards skill like it once did. He said, “Times have changed and I find myself in this position where it’s like are we now gonna start viewing the Daytona 500 winners like we question our champions? I hate the fact of how much luck is involved in NASCAR now… I feel like we’ve just lost that. It’s just a matter of wrecks at superspeedways.”

While fans supported his comments, many saw them as frustration over his 26-race winless streak. NASCAR insider Mike Forde wasted no time in responding to Hamlin’s complaints. On the latest episode of Hauler Talks, he said that William Byron’s win was not just about luck. “William Byron was not lucky. He was prepared, he was talented, he had a really good car, and he had the opportunity. He did not win that race because he chose the outside line and just happened to not get in that wreck,” said Forde.

He further backed his comments with hard data. According to Forde, Byron had the fourth-best average running position in the race, meaning he consistently stayed near the front. His driver rating ranked third overall, and he recorded the second-most laps in the top 15. Notably, Byron was also one of the few drivers who avoided every single crash during the 200-lap race. These race data reflect that Byron’s back-to-back Daytona 500 win is not a fluke.

“Unbiased, I think we could make some improvements and adjustments to make it a little more predictable. Right now, it can be chaotic. I’d like to see some of the crashes go down, maybe, and have some more green-flag finishes,” Byron admitted after the win. He further rejoiced that he avoided wrecks and said, “It’s nice! Hit the wall on the burnout, but just getting through all those things in the race was pretty special.”

Denny Hamlin’s frustration extends beyond just this race. His struggles on superspeedways have been clear since NASCAR introduced the Next-Gen car in 2022. Between 2016 and 2021, Hamlin won three Daytona 500s and regularly finished inside the top five. But since 2022, he has struggled to crack the top 15 at Daytona. His best finish was 17th in 2023.

Notably, Hamlin has remained strong on intermediate tracks, where the Next-Gen car suits his style better. Despite his disappointment at Daytona, Hamlin will look for redemption at Atlanta Motor Speedway. However, ahead of the race, Hamlin has debunked Kyle Busch’s rule book claims after his own poor Daytona 500 outcome.

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Denny Hamlin corrects Kyle Busch!

As if his Daytona frustrations weren’t enough, Denny Hamlin took a shot at frustrated Kyle Busch. Unlike Hamlin, Rowdy has failed to win a single Harley J. Earl Trophy in his two-decade-long career. In this year’s event, Busch aimed to end the drought, but NASCAR officials removed him from the race due to the damaged vehicle policy. Busch believed he had three attempts to meet minimum speed after making repairs, but NASCAR officials ruled otherwise.

After the race, Busch lambasted NASCAR for not following their own rules and claimed that they unfairly removed him from the race. However, his former Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Hamlin was quick to clarify his doubts. On his podcast, he revealed that he called NASCAR’s Senior VP of Competition, Elton Sawyer, to clarify the rules.

“I have to disagree with Kyle here. Kyle was incorrect in saying you get three attempts to make speed. That is not the case,” Hamlin said. He further explained that Busch’s car’s built-in lift jack system failed, which delayed his entry on the track. He called it Rowdy’s team’s failure, not a rulebook issue. “If you start in the garage, when you come out, you better have it right because you don’t get another chance after that. If that’s the case (equipment), that’s on them,” he added.

Notably, NASCAR made several changes to its rule book before the 2025 season. The organizing body had introduced a modified damaged vehicle policy. The new policy states that teams can take unlimited time to repair their cars if they are in the garage. But once they return to the track, they must meet minimum speed immediately. Hamlin emphasized that Busch simply got mixed up on the rules. “Again, I know it’s hard to know all the nuances of it, but to me, it’s pretty simple.”

While Denny Hamlin tried to clarify Kyle Busch’s concerns, Rowdy has yet to respond to his suggestions. However, Busch might be looking for a favorable outcome at Atlanta, which had one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history last year. Daniel Suarez won the race in a photo finish by beating Busch by 0.003 seconds. Do you think Busch will have a redemption at Atlanta Motor Speedway?