Denny Hamlin Backtracks on Bold Statement Bashing NASCAR and His Credibility Takes a Hit

Denny Hamlin was outspoken about safety concerns with the Next Gen car last year, long before it ever made its debut in the Clash at the Coliseum. This season, multiple drivers, including Hamlin, have repeatedly claimed that all impacts are more intense than any previous generation of cars.

Hamlin has been closer to the situation more than most with his 23XI Racing driver Kurt Busch suffering a concussion during qualifying at Pocono in July. Busch has now missed 11 races. Last week's announcement that Alex Bowman had suffered a concussion and would miss the Talladega race hit a nerve with the drivers.

Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, Hamlin and others candidly spoke about the situation. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver made the most surprising comments, even by Hamlin standards, suggesting that the car needed a complete redesign and NASCAR needed a change in leadership. That was on Saturday before Talladega.

On Sunday, Hamlin met with NASCAR President Steve Phelps before the race and talked about that meeting with reporters after he finished fifth. Interestingly, he struck a dramatically different tone and his remarks revealed that he had changed his mind with regard to one of his positions from the day before.

Video Credits:
NASCAR
NASCAR.com
Fox Sports
NBC Sports
AB Dynamics
Noah Lewis
Peter Stratta
I Am Athlete - NASCAR

Photo Credits:
Getty Images