NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin recently weighed in on Joey Logano’s outburst towards his teammate, Austin Cindric, following last Sunday’s race at Talladega. The incident occurred during Stage 2 of the 188-lap race, where Logano was vying for valuable stage points alongside Cindric and Bubba Wallace.
In a moment of frustration, Logano expressed his displeasure over Cindric’s decision to give the push he needed to Wallace instead of himself, using expletives and derogatory language over the team radio. Hamlin, known for his witty remarks, found humor in Logano’s heated rant, commenting on the Penske driver’s tendency to lose his cool.
Despite the drama on the track, Hamlin had a less than ideal finish, placing 21st in the race. This marked his fourth finish of 21st or worse this season, but he currently sits third in the driver standings with five top-fives, six top-10s, and 337 points.
Looking ahead, the Tampa native is gearing up for the Würth 400 at Texas Motor Speedway, where he aims to defend his title as the reigning champion of the event. Fans can catch the action live on Fox Sports 1 at 3:30 pm ET on Sunday, May 4, with radio updates available on PRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
In a separate development, Hamlin shed light on why NASCAR teams rejected the opportunity to experiment with their NextGen machines for this year’s All-Star Race. Despite being given the freedom to tweak parts and pieces for the event, teams opted out due to the financial implications.
As a team owner himself, Hamlin emphasized the exorbitant costs associated with building and potentially destroying three cars just for the sake of a one-off race. With each standard NASCAR Cup Series car costing around $300,000, the prospect of spending nearly a million dollars on experimental vehicles was a risk many teams were unwilling to take.
Ultimately, the lack of incentive in a non-points-paying race like the All-Star event meant that the financial burden outweighed any potential rewards. While the winning driver walks away with a cash prize of $1 million, the cost to the team in terms of car destruction and resources was deemed too steep a price to pay.
As the NASCAR season progresses, teams will continue to navigate the balance between innovation and financial responsibility in their pursuit of success on the track. Hamlin’s insights offer a glimpse into the complexities of team ownership in the high-stakes world of professional racing.
