Usually Blunt Denny Hamlin’s Hesitation to ‘Throw Gas on Fire’ Forces NASCAR Fans to Take a U-Turn

Denny Hamlin is one of NASCAR’s most polarizing personalities. His blunt comments outside of racing and on his podcast, as well as consistently ‘beating our favorite drivers’ for nearly two decades, have fueled the reasons behind his controversial image. Boos and jeers follow each one of Denny’s victory laps and interviews.

But amidst bust-ups with drivers and track owners alike, Denny appears to be “editing” and filtering out content from the upcoming episodes of Actions Detrimental (AD), and the fans are making a 180-degree turn for old snake eyes to speak his mind more often.

Fans Upset About Potential Censorship of Denny Hamlin’s Podcast

Before his attempt to sweep three straight short-track wins at Martinsville (for which he ultimately fell short), Hamlin got into an online spat about a road course. He took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express his disapproval of the repaved and already crumbling Sonoma Raceway, and his comments drew criticism from Marcus G. Smith, the CEO of track owners, Speedway Motorsports LLC.

The ‘virtual confrontation’ saw the esteemed personalities throw shade at each other in many nasty rebuttals. However, with the issue now clarified with both Smith and Hamlin admitting their mistakes, updates suggest that his post-race dissections with co-host Jared Allen on AD may lack the signature “fire” that ignites discussions over the week.

When a fan asked Denny to “drop the podcast” after an average Martinsville display, Hamlin replied to the message writing, “Truth is we are editing .. had some strong thoughts and thinking through what really needs to be said vs just throwing gas on the fire..”  X user @TeamKFBfan8 brilliantly outlines the common fan sentiment towards the update with a brilliant reply. “We like gas on the fire, stoke it!!

Fans were not happy to hear one of the most outspoken drivers in recent years censor arguably one of the most interesting podcasts’ of the Dirty Mo Media Network. One fan candidly replied with a seemingly targeted reflection, “Speak the truth man. Lord knows some people need to hear it.” Another followed up by writing, “I don’t like this new Denny, he’s holding back.” As @CMBLXCK11 mentions, “We need it raw unedited, and uncensored big homie,” the current landscape rightfully warrants it. But with ‘forced silence’ imminent on the part of NASCAR’s ‘bad guy,’ one comment aptly challenged him with a comedic GIF and an interesting U-turn: “And I thought you were the villain…..”

Will “Dirty Denny” Become a Relic of the Past?

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Maybe the “Dirty Denny” role is coming to an end soon for a steadily aging but still world-class Hamlin, considering the increased influx of global eyes onto the sport and his own ‘NextGen’ venture with Michael Jordan as co-owner at 23XI Racing. As a driver, one may have certain freedoms, but as an owner, Denny may have to shed some of the brash and unfiltered traits that fans have associated with one of the sport’s greatest non-champion drivers… yet.

Before William Byron gave Hendrick Motorsports their 29th victory in Martinsville on their 40th annual trip to the track, Hamlin had helped Joe Gibbs Racing tie HMS for three race wins out of eight, with another one of his controversial victories, this time at Richmond. Despite maturing over the years and captivating audiences with his trademark personality and ever-evolving charisma, controversy seems destined to remain a defining feature of Denny Hamlin’s extensive racing career. Will the quality of his podcast venture drop, on the other hand? That is yet another controversy for fans to unravel.

Read More: “I Love Talking Sh*t”- Denny Hamlin Unveils What It Takes to Host a Podcast as Actions Detrimental Returns for Another Season