Denny Hamlin has his hands full at the moment, and it’s impacting his racing. Being a team owner who is racing in the playoffs is no simple task and Hamlin is learning that the hard way. After the 23XI Racing charter negotiations with NASCAR did not go well, as he and Michael Jordan missed the deadline, Hamlin’s performance tanked. The team is not ready to settle with the terms that NASCAR has to offer, and this has led to the team existing minus a charter for 2025.

While the charter negotiations are not the only reason behind his unimpressive run, he finished the last two races in the 20s. He has been a contender for the title for the last 19 years, and he has made it to the playoffs for 11 consecutive years now. There is a lot that has changed with the driver over the years, but with Bristol being his last chance, Kevin Harvick came forward to share his opinion.

Kevin Harvick calls Denny Hamlin out for his performance

Step 1 for Denny Hamlin will be to win Bristol and cement himself in the top 12. Then he will have to rethink his strategy to fight the other drivers who have had a better start to the playoffs than him. Looking at the way Hamlin has been performing, Kevin Harvick decided to step in when he discussed the No. 11 driver on his podcast.

Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour team shared their thoughts on the 48-year-old’s performance. Harvick started it off by saying, “I think when you look back at the driver strategy to go out at Atlanta and just try to race for 20 points, and then all the drama that’s happened, especially with the charters, it’s derailed the 11 cars.”

Harvick got straight to the point, claiming that 23XI Racing’s charter deal is weighing in on the driver’s mind. Having hope for the Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Harvick added on to say, “I think they can go to Bristol and put it back on the track, and they can go there and win, but what a dismal way to start the first two races.”

Bristol has been one of the races where Hamlin has performed well in the last 2 seasons. Having this as the next race in the playoffs does give hope to the team, but Harvick has noticed something from Hamlin’s racing.

Harvick broke down where the No. 11 driver lacks, saying, “We’ve seen some uncharacteristic things. I look at Denny Hamlin as a leader and a guy who is going to go out and be aggressive and always trying to win, but I just feel like when they went out at Atlanta and the strategy didn’t work out, it didn’t feel like they were on the same page with what his strategy was.” 

They all concluded that Denny Hamlin needs to focus on the season and keep the worries from the 23XI Racing charter deal aside.

What is the stance of the 23XI Racing charter deal?

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Both Michael Jordan and Denny Hamlin find themselves in a familiar yet frustrating position—sticking to their original stance on the elusive charter agreements. After the Watkins Glen race, Hamlin admitted that not a single conversation had been had with NASCAR officials regarding the fate of the charter deal. For 23XI Racing, the silence is deafening.

What makes this situation even more unsettling is Hamlin’s uncertainty about the future. Earlier this year, 23XI Racing openly expressed interest in acquiring another charter, particularly in light of Stewart-Haas Racing’s potential downsizing. Yet, despite the high hopes, the conversation seems frozen in time, leaving the future of the team’s expansion ambitions in limbo.

Hamlin, himself, seems to be feeling the pressure. Could this be the reason behind his recent dip in performance? After all, it’s hard to stay laser-focused on the track when you’re unsure if the team you’re racing for will even be in the same form next year.

At the core of 23XI’s frustration is their desire for a fair shot at the negotiating table, something they believe has been denied. Meanwhile, other team owners express a similar sentiment—they want the deal done, but not at the expense of wasting more time in endless talks.

Do you think the charter saga is weighing on Hamlin’s mind, affecting his performance? Let us know your take in the comments below!