The clamor of protests against NASCAR’s economic policy has rang out since last year, as the charter agreement’s expiry date approached. Despite two years of passionate debate, the sanctioning body has only nudged slightly to accommodate race teams. And most teams, strung up by their monetary needs, yielded to the higher-ups’ decision. But two of them stood out, including Denny Hamlin‘s 23XI Racing.

The Cup Series veteran had been the most vocal in the Race Team Alliance’s demands. So although his team’s future looks at stake, Hamlin is choosing to go all out—including snapping his two-decade-old bond with NASCAR.

Denny Hamlin fiercely holds his head high

Way back in 2005, a young racer with glowing eyes full of dreams joined Joe Gibbs’ team. He breathed fire and left a trailblazer legacy of amassing Cup Series wins. Yet today, that veteran driver has been compelled to oppose the very series where he achieved his dreams. Denny Hamlin owns 54 Cup Series wins and heralds two brilliant drivers in 23XI Racing. But both he and Michael Jordan are willing to draw a line to their team’s success even if it means opposing NASCAR’s unfair charter deal that won’t even extend the luxury of permanent charters.

You see, Hamlin and his business partner have always been irked by the fact that NASCAR’s kept the bigger piece of the pie all these years. Even their new media rights deal, a gigantic $7.7 billion one, will see teams get just 25%, with 65% going to the tracks (half of which are owned by the organization) and 10% to NASCAR itself. But many industry insiders have alleged inaccuracy, stating NASCAR takes almost 93% of the money. Now, add to that the fact that every Cup Series car requires around $18 million per year (Hamlin’s words, not mine) and the drama explains itself.

Unfortunately, after months of demanding bigger slices of the media revenue, more say, and permanent charters, teams have not gotten much. Although NASCAR’s new charter deal is not clear, some things are. In return for a greater portion of the money, teams are giving up other rights, and also permanent charters are out of the question. So Denny Hamlin is ready to occupy battle stations, even if it means jeopardizing Bubba Wallace’s career. He said in a recent interview: “We don’t have a charter agreement, we don’t owe the series anything. And they don’t owe us anything. So it goes both ways.”

In another statement, the team also released a statement calling for “fair and equitable practices”. Michael Jordan’s business partner and 23XI Racing investor Curtis Polk alleged how NASCAR is resorting to unfair means: “We are David facing Goliath, NASCAR has superior bargaining power and undue influence over the sport and the charter process. Notably, Front Row Motorsports also declined to meet charter-signing deadlines, though they didn’t provide an explanation for the same.

Echoing Denny Hamlin’s defiant stance, NASCAR has also not taken kindly to 23XI’s decision. After Tyler Reddick won the regular season championship, a glaring absence was visible in the trophy ceremony photos. Nobody from NASCAR’s leadership participated. So Hamlin also admitted to how much 23XI’s views diverge from the leadership, as he said, “Look, can a charter deal get done? Yeah, absolutely it could. But again, someone will have to wake up and have a completely different mindset. I just don’t know that that is gonna be possible.” 

Coupled with NASCAR’s nonchalance is 23XI’s lonesome stance in this high-stakes situation. Brad Keselowski, also a veteran driver like Denny Hamlin, who now co-owns a Cup Team, chose to see the glass half-full.

Hamlin may have to walk a lonely road

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When NASCAR fixed Friday as the deadline for signing the new charter agreement, some people perceived it as a ‘threat.’ 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports were loudly absent at the signing occasion. And, RFK Racing owner Brad Keselowski saluted their defiant stance, and said, “Certainly respect their decision-making ability.”

Yet despite the polarizing situation, Brad did not feel getting ‘coerced’ to do anything. “Well, I don’t necessarily know where that’s coming from. Forced is a really strong term, but we are getting to a spot where it’s important to get these things settled.”

Last year, NASCAR signed a gigantic $7.7 billion media rights deal. To be able to get a larger share of that (35-40%, as speculated by Bob Pockrass) is a big enough deal for Keselowski. “You know, for us, we felt it was right to do a deal and move forward,” Keselowski said about RFK signing the charter deal.

“We’re glad that the economics are improved and to go with where the media landscape has moved. You know right now the sport lives and dies off the media rights deal. There’s no getting around that. So, when the media rights deal got done this winter, that was a big, big deal for the sport, and now you’re seeing the dominoes falling behind that, but don’t forget what the first domino is,” the RFK Racing co-owner said.

Evidently, Brad Keselowski and almost all other teams are choosing to go along with NASCAR’s wishes. But Denny Hamlin’s defiant stance complicates the situation, so let us see how far his battle with NASCAR stretches.