Denny Hamlin exposes NASCAR’s lies about the NextGen package
NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin recently shared his thoughts on the current state of the NextGen car used in the Cup Series. Introduced in 2022 as the successor to the Gen 6 model, the NextGen car has undergone multiple adjustments leading up to its current 2025 iteration.
Hamlin, who is in his 20th full-time season piloting the #11 Toyta for JGR, is also a co-owner of Cup Series team 23XI Racing with NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan. Following the race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the 44-year-old Cup Series driver shared his candid thoughts on NASCAR's alleged lies before the NextGen car was introduced.
"The very first team owner meeting that I was ever in, I just bought a charter. I said, 'Are you sure this car is ready to race at all types of different racetracks?' Are we sure we've got it right? Yes (NASCAR responded). I said, 'Okay, I believe you. I have no reason not to,'"
"We didn't actually have multiple cars on the racetrack testing this car until two months before the very first race. And at that moment is when we all realized, 'Holy shit, you cannot pass.' It was really, really bad,"
Following his comments, Hamlin elaborated on how NASCAR and Goodyear have maintained constant discussions with drivers to gather feedback and improve tire performance for a more competitive racing experience. While acknowledging progress, the #11 driver added:
"It just proves that yes, the tire has a big role in it. But the fundamental problem is the car. The tire can Band-Aid it a little bit."
Denny Hamlin started the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway from P4, coming off a strong win at Martinsville and Darlington. Despite a solid effort, the race was dominated by former Cup Series champion Kyle Larson, who powered his way to victory lane for his second win of the season.
Kyle Larson shares bold statement on denying Denny Hamlin his first-ever three-peat
Denny Hamlin hasn’t always had the best reputation among NASCAR fans, and this time, his Cup Series rival Kyle Larson echoed those sentiments. Larson didn’t hold back, expressing opinions that align with what many in the fanbase already believe about the veteran JGR driver.
In a post-race interview with NASCAR, the Hendrick Motorsports driver said:
"If Denny’s in front of me, it could be a totally different story and be really hard to pass him. Glad to stop his three-peat; we hate to see him win. As I’m sure you guys do too," Kyle Larson said, via NASCAR."
Larson led 411 of 500 laps at Bristol Motor Speedway. However, despite winning the Cup and Xfinity race, the #5 driver narrowly missed out on a clean sweep at Bristol with a P2 finish in the Weather Guard Truck Race.