Denny Hamlin is
not taking today’s $25,000 fine sitting down.
The Joe Gibbs
Racing driver said today that he will refuse to pay his recently announced fine
for comments critical of NASCAR’s new Gen-6 race car last weekend at Phoenix
International Raceway.
Hamlin insisted
his comments were his own opinion, and “not even a bad one!" He stood fast
behind those comments, and said he does not understand why he was fined.
"This is
the most upset and angry I've been in a long, long time about anything that
relates to NASCAR," said Hamlin. "I don't believe in this (and) I'm
never going to believe in this. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not going to pay
the fine. If they suspend me, they suspend me. I don't care at this
point."
NASCAR vice
president of competition Robin Pemberton said today that Hamlin has the right
to appeal his penalty. If he chooses to do so, he will be allowed to compete
until a hearing is held. If Hamlin does not file an official appeal, he will reportedly
not be allowed to practice, qualify or race his Fed Ex Racing Toyota this
weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
"The fines
are supposed to be paid as soon as possible, but we're not in any of those
windows yet where it seems to be a problem," said Pemberton. “Constructive
criticism is one thing, but there are different statements people make that are
damaging. We won't tolerate those types of things."
While
admittedly angry, Hamlin said he understands that challenging NASCAR could further
inflame an already contentious situation. He also insisted that he has made his
final comment – positive or negative—on the state of NASCAR racing.
"I'm not
going to say anything for the rest of the year as long as it relates to
competition," said Hamlin, calling himself, “a pretty good spokesman"
for NASCAR. "You can ask how my daughter is and talk to me after wins, but
as long as it relates to competition, I'm out.
"This was
something that was absolutely nothing
and got blown into something. (Now), it's just going to be worse for them,"
he said. "Let them deal with it."
Seems Hamlin needs to have someone remind him that it is a privilege to drive at this level. Maybe the Busch brothers could share their experience with Denny.
ReplyDeleteIt should not matter what any driver says about NASCAR. Everyone has the freedom of speech. They do not work for NASCAR. Now if he said something directly aimed at their owner that could be another story.
ReplyDelete"Freedom of Speech" was about the GOVERNMENT not being able to punish you for speaking out against them. It has never applied to NASCAR, owners, etc. If you don't understand the difference, go call you boss an a-hole, then tell him the Constitution protects you from being fired.
DeleteObama & NASCAR, taking away rights one at a time
DeleteI imagine the Coach will change his mind about paying the fine, don't you?
DeleteAnd this weeks goodys not the sharpest knife in the drawer award goes to.
DeleteIt sucks that denny doesn't have freedom of speech, but daves right...1st amendment doesn't protect him from NASCAR...he's just another worker bee in the world of his chosen profession...which has every right to restrict his speech.
DeleteNot going to win this one
ReplyDeleteNascar is just mad because they know he is right ! Its obvious that people are not happy with "the product" Nascar is putting out.
ReplyDeleteYou called it Moody. Why would any driver put his or herself in position to get fined for speaking their mind about the car or competition now?
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with Hamlin's remarks, or NASCAR's reaction. This all could have gone away quietly. Hamlin won't win a peeing contest with NASCAR. Gibbs is a very persuasive person, and I'm sure he will be at the head of the table for a resolution.
Regardless of the outcome of any potential appeal, whether its in Denny's favor or NASCAR's, there will be no winner. The damage has been done.
Ted speaks the truth.
DeleteWas Kyle Busch or Tony Stewart fined for disparaging remarks when critisizing the COT when it first arrived? Tony stated that it was a "Flying Brick", and after winning the first COT race, Kyle said it was a terrible race car, and that they sucked. What was their penalties? Zilch!!
ReplyDeleteGood for denny. I wouldnt pay them a dime. Nascar is just making itself look bad.
ReplyDeleteWHATS THE DIFFERENCE DID KYLE BUSCH GET FINED WHEN HE WON BRISTOL IN 07 WITH THE COT CAR??? HE SAID IT SUCKED LIKE JACK NICHOLSON SAID IN A FEW GOOD MEN!!! @NASCAR YOU CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteDenny said something and NASCAR stepped in to make a bigger deal than it needed to be. However, I'm afraid Denny's recent comments have forced NASCAR's hand to lowering the boom on him. If his original comments were detrimental to the sport- stating that NASCAR can suspend him is like saying he doesn't care what the governing body thinks. Openly thumbing his nose at NASCAR is more detrimental than his original comments. I liked watching Denny on the track and I initially felt bad for him when the fine was announced. Now I just get the impression that he still has a lot of maturing to do...
ReplyDeleteI don't agree with the road Hamlin took to resolve this issue. Now I believe NASCAR will be forced to make an example of him. Joe Gibbs should step in and make an example of him too. I was a casual fan of Denny's but now I feel if NASCAR doesn't park him- Coach Gibbs should. It will not make his sponsors happy but honestly- they can't be too happy as it is.
Wow! I heard Denny's comments live. He was stating the obvious that the cars need more work. Obvious. We are two races into this thing, of course they need more work. Sorry Denny got tagged by NASCAR. I did not think his comments were disrespectful or even critical. Again, WOW!
ReplyDeleteNascar anymore is all about the money! They have lost a lot of fans and if gets worse every year!
ReplyDeleteNASCAR might have gone overboard, but his response is just WAY over the top. Also, I think if he had added a "but I am sure NASCAR will work out all the bugs and the racing will get even better" there would have been no punishment. Still say he being a baby about the whole thing. Put on your big boy pants, you sound like a spoiled brat.
ReplyDeleteTires & Aero
ReplyDeleteDenny's comments are the result of a much deeper ocean than that of the Gen 6 car. All the issues we're having, now and over the past few years come down to the fact that the cars are too aero dependent and too limited by the fixed tire sizes of the radial tires.
Our sport (Nascar) has two things in common with the most boring racing on the planet - Formula One. Radials & too much aero dependence. I hope we will 'learn and turn' away from following F-1's example. Here are 3 rock solid reasons to bring back bias ply tires:
1: Better on track racing. The Denny Hamlin benefit races at Richmond were a great example of what bias ply tires will provide on the track. The late models (yes - a bird of a completely different feather) and the K&N series cars (slightly different feathers - pretty similar bird) race like they're gonna spin out every lap. Slidin' all over the place, bumpin', & rubbin'. Passing was abundant and the racing was phenomenal! Real edge of the seat stuff. Not slot car racing, which is kinda what Nascar's top three divisions resemble much of the time. We wanna see the ass-end hangin' out... we wanna see some slidin' around... some bumpin', some rubbin'... Now that's excitement. That's what stock car racing is supposed to be.
2. Put the adjustability back in the driver & crew chief's hands. Goodyear's website states that the tires for Bristol provide 1.3" of stagger. It's a radial... it's fixed... you can't change that. With 1.3" of stagger on a 1/2 mile track, no wonder everyone is having to run the high groove? A set of tires with that stagger wants to run on a much bigger track, so the drivers are 'stuck' having to run the top groove because the car really wants to run in the 30th row of the grandstands with that stagger. You can't go low to pass because it binds the car up too much and scrubs off speed. Let them have a bias ply tire where they can increase or decrease the stagger if they want. If everyone is running the top, drivers are naturally gonna say, "add some stagger next stop so I can run better around the bottom..." We've taken that flexibility out of the driver & crew chief's hands and we need to give it back.
3. Cost: Radial tires are typically $350 - $450 each. With as many sets of tires that each team uses per week, a bias ply tire priced at even $250 each would save a conservative $250,000 per car per year. Ask Jack Rousch or Rick Hendrick if they'd be interested in saving almost a million dollars next year on their organization's tire bill and see what their response would be. Favorable I would think. Especially in times where sponsorship is harder and harder to secure and keep.
We've raced at well over 200 mph on bias ply tires with 1980's technology. There's no reason that we can't build a safe bias ply tire today, put more adjustability in the team's hands, (along with perhaps a little bit of unpredictability which would also be a good thing for the show) more money in the owner's pockets, and a better product on the track. Let's not go the direction of Formula 1... please.
Not all technology that's good for the street is good for the track. Fuel injection? Great move! But imagine our stock cars being equipped with airbags. Great idea? Hell no! Think about a restart at Martinsville with 2 laps to go and 3rd place misses a shift... no one gets hurt... but the 5th, 7th, & 9th place drivers have an airbag blow up in their face after they all run into each other because the dude in 3rd didn't take off.
This is racing. Let's always work on and try new technology... but if it doesn't work... get rid of it. We don't need airbags on the race track... and we don't need radials there either.
Thanks for allowing a place to share our thoughts.
Joe Cobb
Very interesting thoughts, Joe. With that said, there is one simple reason why we will not see a return of bias-ply tires to NASCAR. Goodyear has no interest in them, since they don't sell them. "Win On Sunday, Sell On Monday" applies to them, too. I know street tires and racing tires are wildly different, but Goodyear's marketing program is based on the fact that NASCAR teams run Goodyear Eagles and Wranglers, the same way you and I can run them on the street.
DeleteYeah, I ran down to Walmart just yesterday to buy some Goodyear tires just like the NASCAR guys run...but they told me that I couldn't have the big, fat racing slicks put on my Ford Escape.
DeleteThe issue is that Goodyear makes street tires, period. And the testing/research they gain from making racing tires withstand the rigorous conditions of racing make for better street tires. Much like space technology trickling to consumer products.
It's not a "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday" for Goodyear...Hoosier who? They're the only NASCAR tire - who else is going to win on Sunday? The trouble is justifying the cost of doing bias-ply tires when NASCAR is your only bias-ply customer. The Goodyear radial tire would sell on Monday anyway, so the only people buying bias-ply tires would be the racing series, and there's not enough money in that to justify the time/energy/research to only be supplying bias-play tires for under 125 NASCAR race teams (not counting the ones that try Daytona).
Because in the grand scheme of things, a Goodyear "wrangler" bias-ply tire would be the same thing as going to the showroom Monday to buy a shiny NAPA Blue Toyota Camry...my mom has one, and it ain't nothing like Truex's! HAHA!!
I think Goodyear would have just as powerful name recognition whether it's a bias ply tire on the track or a radial. They'll both say Goodyear on the sidewall. We know that Nascar fans are the most brand loyal anywhere and surely purchase more Goodyears than any other segment of the population I'd bet. I don't think the fans would really care what's on the track as far as tire 'design' per-sey. They just know that it's a Goodyear, my guy just won a race on it, they're cool, and I wanna use 'em too. I think they read too far into the fact that it's a radial.
ReplyDeleteJoe
Danny has been hanging out with too many pampered athletes from other sports
ReplyDeleteI'm sure there's some technology transfer from the track to the street... but... if it's a contributing factor to us losing fans and continuing to not grow the fan base, then Goodyear basically loses their 10 - 12 hours worth of commercial advertising each weekend that they're paying for by supplying tires to Nascar's top 3. You never hear a football player come off the field and talk about his helmet... "Yeah... that hit I took in the 2nd quarter was a lick! Sure glad I had a Riddell helmet on!" "If it weren't for Louisville Slugger, that ball wouldn't have made it out..." Never happens. Nascar is the only sport where the 'players' actually give attention - good or bad - to a manufacturer. If Goodyear loses $10 million/year on the actual dollars that it takes to build tires for Nascar, that's still cheaper than what they'd spend putting that many hours of TV commercials on the air over the course of a year. Take the money out of it. None of the suppliers in Nascar are there for a profit... they're there for the brand recognition and credibility that "the best in the world use our products... you should too."
ReplyDeleteJoe
Joe, Goodyear is not about to lose $10 million per year on NASCAR. They could spend that money on TV commercials and keep their hands clean, rather than putting up with the hassle of testing, building and transporting tires all over God's green acre. If you think any sponsor is in this sport for anything other than profit, you're sadly mistaken.
DeleteI agree totally... they're in it for profit. There's just no profit in the Nascar piece. The profit is in the increased retail sales that result from the name recognition gained in Nascar. I used to work for a manufacturer of racing components where we supplied some parts & pieces to Nascar before they started mandating certain 'spec' moving parts & pieces under the car. (nuff said) We did all sorts of things that weren't profitable to stay in that market so our sticker would be on the side of every car and we could use that logo in our ads. It does make a big difference in the customer base when you can brag that 'Nascar uses our stuff.' Nascar was our loss leader as I'd bet it is in many other cases.
DeleteJoe
Agreed 100%, Joe. But if your involvement with NASCAR did not ultimately produce a positive financial bottom line, my guess is you would not have stayed long.
DeleteAbsolutely. The time was right for a great product launch. Having the Nascar name associated with it made it a much quicker and successful launch vs. a long one that may have ultimately failed. Once it was up and running, it stood solidly on it's own without having to endure any losses incurred by the Nascar involvement. That product line is still in the racing industry and doing pretty well as I still see it floating around at short tracks all over the place, which was the initial intent. Some Nascar teams are still using the products as well, although they've been tweaked a little to 'conform' to the current rules package. (John Darby never was a big fan of our stuff)
ReplyDeleteNascar is a very powerful marketing platform... for a successful launch, or if your product fits, for a long term relationship.
Anywho... I hope Denny wins his appeal. I think Nascar 'stepped in a squishy' on this one.
Thanks again for all you do for our sport Dave. Love the show! (I gotta get Sirius for the office though!)
Joe