The 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season has not even started yet and Denny Hamlin has already begun making some polarizing points. The format of the Clash at the Coliseum event is such that a maximum of 23 drivers can make it into the feature race. Several cup series drivers and even teams miss out on the main race; this year, it was no different. While this may not sit well with some, Denny Hamlin believes the ‘less is more’ philosophy. And that has drawn a reaction from an insider of the sport.

Several drivers did not make it to the main race on Saturday at the LA Memorial Coliseum. Surprisingly, one of last year’s final 4, Christopher Bell, had to sit out of it. Trackhouse Racing did not get any drivers into the race, and Justin Marks did not shy away from expressing his displeasure at the situation.

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Taking to X, the Trackhouse Racing boss reportedly tweeted that everyone should be able to participate in the main race at the Coliseum. This drew a reaction from Denny Hamlin, who spoke about what he thought of the Clash format on a recent episode of the Actions Detrimental podcast. As per the 43-year-old driver, Marks had a right to be upset.

However, the driver of the #11 car also made it clear that he did not necessarily agree with what the Trackhouse boss was saying. Denny Hamlin believes that if there were too many drivers racing in these exhibition races, they would not remain very prestigious. He invoked the examples of the All-Star race and the NASCAR playoffs to make his point.

“I’m of the opinion though that less is more. It’s not having big names sometimes…I’m not saying not make races. But like All-Star races should be for all stars. The playoffs should be for the best. If you just keep inviting everyone, it’s not that prestigious anymore. I am definitely a fan of less is more, I thought it cleaned up the race quite a bit,” Hamlin said.

Some will agree with his comments and some won’t and one person who falls in the latter category is NASCAR insider Brock Beard. The motorsport historian shared the video where Denny Hamlin expressed his opinion and took a sly dig at the 43-year-old driver. “Here’s an idea – how about you only qualify for the Clash if you win a pole? That pretty much guarantees a small field and, well, it worked in the past,” he wrote.

As far as Denny Hamlin is concerned, he did understand why Justin Marks was upset that his team was not involved in the feature race. The JGR star said that a lot of it has to do with money and the fact that teams were not able to put on a show for the fans gathered.

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It takes a lot of money to operate a race team that too in a competition like the NASCAR Cup Series. Transportation and setup are a big part of that expense as they happen every race weekend. So when a team spends a bunch of money to travel to a race where the purse value isn’t flattering and is still barred from taking part in the main event, it’s no surprise that the team owner will be disappointed.

“Not everyone has to make it. Maybe this race, I don’t know, I saw when Justin Marks tweeted, ‘Well everybody should make the race.’ I get that, especially in this type of deal where financially this is not a good race for the team whatsoever if you noticed the purse. It’s probably a quarter of what a normal purse would be. You’re gonna hear teams say, ‘We spent all this money coming out here to put on a show for you guys and we’re not even allowed to race’,” the Joe Gibbs Racing star Denny Hamlin said.

But that is just the way things are with the Clash at the Coliseum format, which is unlikely to change anytime soon. For Justin Marks and Trackhouse Racing, getting a good start to the 2024 Cup Series season will be the immediate goal. The drivers will be looking to make a big impact in the competition this year.

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