Top NASCAR Official Blatantly Dodges Questions on Denny Hamlin Penalty, Increasing Fan Mistrust

NASCAR made headlines this week when it decided to retroactively penalize Denny Hamlin after the driver admitted on his podcast that he intentionally wrecked Ross Chastain in the final laps at Phoenix.

When NASCAR Vice President of Competition Elton Sawyer met with reporters to address the situation, he said the JGR driver forced their hand and they were just following what they had done in the past. Except Hamlin hadn't forced their hand — in fact, he had given them an out — and NASCAR wasn't following what it had done in the past. Joey Logano at Darlington last year is the perfect example of the sanctioning body doing something completely different.

Throughout the session, reporters peppered the official with questions, and on multiple occasions, he dodged answering them, clumsily trying to take the conversation in a different direction. It wasn't a good look and just another reason fans mistrust of NASCAR is continuing to grow.

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