Denny Hamlin Hopes the Relationship Between NASCAR and the Industry Improves After Tumultuous Offseason

Following the antitrust lawsuit settlement, NASCAR has worked to steady the ship and restore confidence among its audience by addressing fan concerns on several fronts. Among those steps was changing the sport’s overall format and the decision to part ways with Steve Phelps, whose tenure included meaningful contributions to the organization, but his public remarks drew sustained backlash from the fan base. The move showed NASCAR’s willingness to acknowledge frustration.

NASCAR also addressed on-track matters. It increased the horsepower for the Next Gen car, a point fans and competitors had pressed for. At the negotiating table, the organization also reached common ground with Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing and Bob Jenkins’ Front Row Motorsports, moving toward a charter agreement on key terms that benefitted the teams and the sport.

Taken together, those efforts showed NASCAR’s attempt to repair fractures that had widened over time and rebuild trust across the industry. Speaking during media day at Bowman Gray Stadium, Hamlin gave his take on the topic.“Yeah, hopefully,” he said of the relationship between the industry and NASCAR improving.

“That’s the goal. We all use it as a reset, we need to think more holistically and trying to make it better as opposed to maybe criticizing this and that. Holistically, are we heading in the right direction?” He expanded on that point by stressing patience. “One moment might not be exactly how we want it, but is it generally heading the right way?”

“I’ve looked at the inner strategy of NASCAR of what they put out to us to get back to where we were, and I think it’s the right strategy. This is not going to be something that we’re going to see right away; it’s something that could take time within the garage. The proof will be in the pudding that the sport and the teams have said they wanted to do for the last decade.”

That backdrop overall explains why Hamlin sees room for progress in the relationship between NASCAR and its stakeholders. His own organization offered a tangible example of cooperation. Hardee’s and Xfinity entered as major sponsors in 2026, creating a commercial link between NASCAR and 23XI Racing.

Hardee’s assumed the role of Official Quick Service Restaurant of NASCAR while also serving as a primary sponsor for Bubba Wallace, reinforcing shared interests rather than competing agendas.

The 23XI Racing owner further acknowledged that collaboration between the teams and the sport has improved compared to earlier eras, including the 1990s, yet he maintained that NASCAR still lags behind other professional leagues.

Pointing to Curtis Polk and other owners with experience across different sports, he noted that ownership meetings elsewhere focus on shared solutions and revenue growth. In those settings, stakeholders work through how the sport can expand its financial base instead of debating structure alone.

Hamlin also addressed NASCAR leadership changes

Hamlin spoke with respect for Steve Phelps and indicated he never held reservations about him and O’Donnell guiding the sport. After Phelps’ departure, he did not yet understand every internal shift tied to O’Donnell’s role compared with before.

Since the offseason, NASCAR and team owners have held one owners’ council meeting. “I’m certainly a believer in the direction they are going. Ultimately, the results will be shown by our TV numbers and our people in the stands, if it resonates with them or not. Overall, I feel as though the sport got a good reset point at the end of last year,” he added on his outlook after the same.

It now remains to be seen how many further changes NASCAR is willing to make to please its fanbase and steer attention away from the negative publicity it received in recent times. The 2026 Daytona 500 attendance and TV viewership numbers should be a good gauge for that.

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