Less
than 24 hours ago, Denny Hamlin expressed a desire to put his weeklong dispute
with NASCAR behind him and get back to racing.
This
afternoon, he poked the bear again.
“We’ve
got bigger fish to fry than to argue over what I said just for $25,000,” said
Hamlin to an assemblage of media members at Bristol Motor Speedway. “It’s
better just to move on…”
Then,
Hamlin then spent the next 10 minutes or so chastising the sanctioning body,
all over again.
“I
think that we won in the judge(ment) of the people…” said the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota
driver. “I had some conversations with (NASCAR CEO) Brian France, and we had a
lot of the same ideas. In hindsight, I really believe they overreacted and I
believe that they think they overreacted, once they thought about it a
little bit.
“Now,
we’re at a point that we’re good with each other, and we’re just going to move
on from here.”
Hamlin
said he is ctually a fan of the new, Gen-6 racer and understands that NASCAR
is, “very, very sensitive about this car. This is their baby. What I was most
frustrated with was it’s not even the opinion I have. I like the car. I think
the car is better. That’s me giving the 100-percent honest truth. I was more
frustrated with the tire that we were on than anything.
That’s
the part that frustrated me. (It has) put me on an island feeling like I was
bashing the race car, which was definitely not how I felt.”
Hamlin
saved a few harsh words for his fellow drivers, who he believes should have
been more outspoken in support of his cause.
“I
think some of the peers of mine -- at least the ones that have a backbone had
the nerve to stick up for what they know is right and wrong – agreed (with me),”
he said. “Everyone wants to stay on NASCAR’s good side and so that ultimately
plays (into) a lot of what you hear in interviews. Ninety percent of what you
hear on a weekly basis is just guys that are trying to stay on NASCAR’s good
side.
“There’s
very few that really give the honest and true truth.”
Photo: Getty Images for NASCAR
Not only poked the bear, but poked the competition.
ReplyDeleteehh... said he wouldn't pay it, then did... cookie cutter like everyone else
ReplyDeletehe didn't pay it Nascar is taking it from his pay this weekend
ReplyDeleteThat's "paying it."
DeleteNascar won't take a cent until the appeal is over
ReplyDeleteDenny has said that there will be no appeal.
DeleteIf Hamlin had a backbone he wouldn't have dropped the appeal.
ReplyDeleteIf France really told Hamlin NASCAR overreacted, then it just gives more credibility to Brad Keselowski's comments coming out of Daytona.
amen
DeleteShut up and drive...
ReplyDeleteNASCAR is good. They just surgically removed Denny's backbone and he hasn't a clue. His latest ramblings are clearly residual effects of anesthesia. You'll be OK Denny, a backbone actually impedes a driver's shot at a championship.
ReplyDelete