Denny Hamlin watched the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Martinsville and couldn’t hold back. The race was a disaster from start to finish, with wrecks piling up and drivers showing little respect for each other. It all reached a boiling point on the final lap when Sammy Smith spun Taylor Gray into the wall, triggering a multi-car pileup. Austin Hill slipped through the chaos to steal the win, but the focus wasn’t on him—it was on the mess that led up to it.
Hamlin, known for his blunt takes, made it clear he wasn’t happy. “God, I wish I were in the booth. I’d get fired, but I damn sure would call these idiots out,” he wrote on X. His frustration reflected a broader issue. Aggressive, reckless driving had become the norm, and it was embarrassing to watch. He wasn’t alone. Dale Earnhardt Jr. also expressed his disappointment. “This racetrack is historic in the grand scheme of all things NASCAR and deserves better,” he posted.
The outcry wasn’t just about one race. It was about a trend. The Xfinity Series has seen a rise in reckless driving, with young drivers making desperate moves without fear of consequences. NASCAR’s development series has been trending in the wrong direction, and Martinsville was the boiling point. But while Hamlin called for NASCAR to step in, another Cup veteran had a different idea. Brad Keselowski believes the real problem isn’t with NASCAR—it’s with the team owners.
Keselowski has seen it all. As a former Truck Series owner and now a Cup Series team co-owner, he understands the balance between competition and business. After watching the chaos at Martinsville, Keselowski spoke up with a bold take. Instead of waiting for NASCAR to step in, he believes the solution should come from the team owners themselves.
“I’ve been quiet on this over the last few days, but it’s clear this is important to fix and also clear that it’s bigger than 1 race weekend. My 2 cents: The solution must come from the car owners, not NASCAR. Until the car owners are willing to park their drivers for getting this out of control, very little will change,” Keselowski posted. He acknowledged the financial risk of benching a funded driver, but he argued that if all teams did it together, the problem could be solved.
His comments ignited a debate. Some fans agreed with him, while others thought the idea was unrealistic. One fan pointed out the financial power of drivers who bring sponsorship money. “Unfortunately, these pay drivers bring the check, so they have the power. Hence why NASCAR needs to step in,” a fan tweeted. The financial aspect of NASCAR makes Keselowski’s idea difficult to implement.
I’ve been really quiet on this over the last few days but it’s clear this is important to fix and also clear that it’s bigger than 1 race weekend.
My 2 cents- The solution needs to come from the car owners not NASCAR. Until the car owners are willing to park their drivers for… https://t.co/JvJw1q4X4A
— Brad Keselowski (@keselowski) March 31, 2025
Drivers like Joey Logano have already questioned the demand for money in the lower NASCAR series. In 2024, Logano had said, “It’s crazy that, and I’ll be real with you here, I get paid to drive a [Cup Series] car. That’s great. I have to pay to drive an Xfinity car or Truck. I have to show up with money on the doorstep to drive one.” However, Keselowski’s point isn’t without precedent.
Back in 2010, Jack Roush benched Ricky Stenhouse Jr. after he wrecked in five of the first 12 races of his rookie Xfinity (then Nationwide) Series season. Stenhouse wasn’t just taken off the track—he was put to work in the shop, helping fix the cars he had wrecked. The message was clear: if you can’t respect the equipment, you don’t get to race. That tough love approach helped Stenhouse mature into a more disciplined driver.
The big question now is whether today’s team owners would be willing to take the same risk. Sponsorship money is more important than ever, and losing a funded driver—even for a short time—could threaten a team’s future. However, Keselowski believes that without discipline, nothing will change, especially after the Martinsville incident.
Fans divided over growing concerns in NASCAR’s developmental series!
Brad Keselowski’s idea got fans talking, and opinions were all over the place. Some supported his call for accountability, while others felt NASCAR itself needed to take action. Many fans also pointed out that Dale Earnhardt Jr. criticized the race but didn’t mention his own team’s role in the chaos. “It’s wild that Dale Jr. is part owner, but he never holds his own JRM drivers accountable,” a user posted.
Notably, JR Motorsports drivers have been involved in questionable moves this season, yet there haven’t been any public consequences from the team. Some believe that if Keselowski wants team owners to take responsibility, big names like Dale Jr. need to set the example. Meanwhile, a fan had a financial solution: “Charge the drivers for damages when they blatantly wreck the car on purpose. I can’t imagine sponsors want this, either. I’m sure they’d rather have a driver replaced than have their brand plastered all over controversy.”
This suggestion got a lot of support. Fans argued that intentionally wrecking should come with financial consequences. It’s a fair point, given that sponsors invest in teams to promote their brands, not to be associated with reckless, embarrassing races. Meanwhile, some fans compared this situation to what Bubba Wallace and Chase Elliott had a few years ago. “I think NASCAR suspending Bubba and Chase worked. Both of them stopped doing insane [stuff] on track,” a user wrote.
In May 2023, NASCAR suspended Chase Elliott for intentionally wrecking Denny Hamlin at Charlotte. Since then, the 2020 Cup Series Champion has avoided similar incidents. Bubba Wallace followed the same path after facing a similar situation. Now, fans believe that such a penalty might do magic for NASCAR Xfinity drivers as well. But, there’s a catch now, even if team owners decide to bench their notorious stars, this move could backfire on them.
“The problem is, there’s no way they can actually park him with the way the format is today. If they do that, he’s ineligible for the playoffs, so this is not a realistic action for a team owner to take.” A fan explained. Well, this is the reason we haven’t seen a strict action on the likes of Austin Cindric and Sammy Smith this year. Only last year, NASCAR revoked Austin Dillon’s playoff eligibility after wrecking at Richmond. But now that they’ve taken themselves out of the equation, team owners won’t risk starting the playoff at a disadvantage.
What are your thoughts on Brad Keselowski’s take on the Martinsville chaos? And is there a sensible option that could see the young driver get in line when it comes to short-track racing?
The post Fans Divided as Brad Keselowski’s Radical Idea Sparks Reality-Check Discourse After Martinsville Embarrassment appeared first on EssentiallySports.