Denny Hamlin Takes a Sarcastic Dig at Chase Elliott’s Abnormal Effort for NASCAR’s $2,000,000

After filing an anti-trust lawsuit against NASCAR in 2024, 23XI Racing has been in a war of words with the sport. Be it in court or with unspoken gestures such as 23XI’s ‘UNBANNABLE’ scheme for the Clash, they have been taking veiled digs at NASCAR attempting to take away their charter privileges. The team’s co-owners, Michael Jordan and Dennny Hamlin, seem to be enjoying these digs too.

23XI Racing’s legal battle had been set for a trial on December 1, 2024, with an appeal coming up by June 2025, so things are still uncertain. NASCAR has also filed a countersuit against 23XI Racing, accusing them of harming the sport by refusing to sign the 2025 charter agreement. The governing body also accused Hamlin’s team of being unwilling to ‘grow the sport.’ Hamlin’s response to all of this? One post on X.

Now we all know that Denny Hamlin has never been one to back down from a fight. Whether it was his heated rivalry with Joey Logano in 2013, which led to a dramatic last-lap wreck at Auto Club Speedway, or his outspoken criticism of NASCAR’s Next Gen car safety concerns in 2022. Hamlin has consistently pushed boundaries. However, he has never shied away from promoting the sport, unlike Chase Elliott, who only jumped on to that ship recently.

Denny Hamlin is proving NASCAR wrong

NASCAR’s return to Bowman Gray Stadium for the Clash after 54 years had fans buzzing, with citywide promotions featuring seven-time Most Popular Driver Chase Elliott, despite his past avoidance of the spotlight, including skipping Netflix’s NASCAR: Full Speed. However, his promotional involvement took a 180-degree turn in 2025, spurred by NASCAR’s $10M-$20M driver marketing incentives, which has sparked both praise and criticism. Now, it seems like Dennny Hamlin is following this promotional route while not shying away from taking a dig at the governing body. After all, it took a financial incentive to ensure drivers were willing to promote the sport.

Taking a veiled dig at NASCAR, Denny Hamlin posted on X, saying, “Come see me actively promoting and growing our sport this Saturday,” while quoting Joe Gibbs Racing’s announcement about his appearances at Phoenix Raceway. Hamlin is also part of NASCAR’s new 2025 Driver Ambassador Program (DAP), which pays drivers up to $2 million a year for promoting the sport off-track. He’s earning points for appearances like the one at Phoenix, where he’ll be at the NASCAR Experience stage on Saturday at 10:45 AM and signing autographs on Sunday at 10:00 AM.

Come see me actively promoting and growing our sport this Saturday. https://t.co/OjvoPTS1Ky

— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) March 5, 2025

Hamlin’s dig stems from comments by NASCAR’s attorney, Chris Yates, who said, “NASCAR wants to work with teams to grow the sport. I don’t know if 23XI and Front Row truly want to grow the sport.” The countersuit is part of a legal fight that started in October 2024, when 23XI and Front Row Motorsports sued NASCAR, alleging its rules create a monopoly that stops teams, drivers, sponsors, and fans from thriving. This confuses fans, who see Hamlin racing hard, investing in 23XI with Michael Jordan, and now promoting NASCAR, but NASCAR calls it an attack.

Hamlin has been a NASCAR Cup Series driver since 2005, racing for Joe Gibbs Racing, and over two decades, he has consistently voiced concerns about the sports’ structure. At Daytona 500 Media Day on February 14, 2025, Hamlin was clear about his frustration: “Well, I mean, for 20 years, I’ve tried my best to form change in a positive manner for the sport, and it’s one that I love… But sometimes change, you know, comes, there’s the restraint that comes with change, right? And so, unfortunately, things just came to a head, and we had to exercise our legal options to make the change happen. We’ve said we love the sport, and you know, this is all going to be stronger because of it.” NASCAR’s practices need to change, and Hamlin is at the center of it.

Hamlin talks COTA’s future in NASCAR

Denny Hamlin recently shared his thoughts on whether the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) will stick around on the NASCAR schedule. The Austin road course has been a part of the Cup Series since 2021, but its future isn’t set in stone. Speedway Motorsports Inc., which rents the track, is looking at a few things before deciding if it’s back in 2026, mainly for money.

On his podcast Actions Detrimental, Hamlin got straight to the point. “If it still makes financial sense,” he said, COTA could stay. He explained that NASCAR pays Speedway Motorsports to put on the race weekend, and the company’s boss, Marcus Smith, can pick where it happens. If Smith chooses one of his own tracks, like Charlotte or Texas, it might save cash compared to leasing COTA. Over the last few years, running races at Speedway-owned tracks have been cheaper, and that’s a big factor.

Hamlin’s been around NASCAR for 20 years, so he knows how the business side works. He didn’t sugarcoat it. COTA is a cool track with its tricky turns and big facility, but if it costs too much, Speedway might move the race somewhere else. Fans and drivers love the road course action, as seen when Hendrick Motorsports #48 Alex Bowman said, “It’s a world-class racetrack, obviously. It’s an awesome place in a cool part of the country. I always get excited to go there.” However, Hamlin thinks the decision will come down to dollars, not just what’s fun.

This isn’t the first time Hamlin has weighed in on road courses. Back in 2022, he said eight of them in the Xfinity Series was too many. Now, with COTA’s spot on the line, he’s keeping it real again. For fans, it’s a waiting game to see if Austin stays on the map or if NASCAR heads to a different track in 2026. What do you think? Should COTA stay or go? Let us know in the comments!

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