The Brickyard 400 was a rollercoaster of cautions and last-minute drama. The challenges posed by the Next Gen car and the difficult return to the 2.5-mile rectangular oval left many drivers frustrated. Among them, Ryan Blaney felt particularly aggrieved after seeing his dreams of victory slip away due to a controversial move by Kyle Larson. Denny Hamlin, who was also involved in a significant crash during the race, sided with Blaney. Hamlin criticized NASCAR’s late-race decisions, which he felt unfairly favored Larson. Although NASCAR officials attempted to clarify the situation after the race, Hamlin remained unconvinced.
Denny Hamlin thinks a fairer stance was possible
As Kyle Larson surged through the field in the final laps at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Ryan Blaney didn’t see him as a threat. Blaney, driving for Team Penske, was focused on capitalizing on Brad Keselowski’s impending fuel shortage. However, Larson, having pitted on lap 123 later than most drivers, didn’t have to worry about fuel conservation and could maintain his speed. When Keselowski eventually ran out of fuel and a multi-car wreck brought out a caution, Larson seized the opportunity to overtake Blaney. NASCAR allowed Larson’s advance despite the controversial restart, leaving Blaney infuriated and accusing the officials of favoritism.
On his podcast ‘Actions Detrimental,’ Denny Hamlin echoed Blaney’s sentiments, saying, “Some of the calls I thought were just super questionable when it comes to whether they did the caution in the end or not.” Hamlin empathized with Blaney’s predicament, noting, “I think probably Blaney was just in a tough spot. The outside lane just does not work. It didn’t matter if he just cleared them by all but two inches. The bottom was gonna be so significant and faster. The 12 was done when the 5 slid it up there.” Hamlin suggested that the Hendrick Motorsports team likely anticipated the situation, with crew chief Cliff Daniels preparing to exploit Keselowski’s fuel woes.
Hamlin explained, “The most likely scenario is that the 6 if he didn’t run out, he was gonna run out at the track, bottom at the 5 up, and cause a huge crash. The 5 was likely gonna be in it…I think they asked. That was a very heads-up position for Cliff Daniels as he asked the officials that, hey, FYI, if they do run out, we can’t pull out before the start/finish line, right? So they were on it right from the get-go ’cause they knew that the 6 was in dire straits.”
Hamlin’s verdict on NASCAR’s decision-making was clear – he believed they showed favoritism towards Kyle Larson. “I don’t know. It might be a situation where NASCAR’s happy with how this whole thing played out.” Hamlin suggested a more equitable approach could have been taken: “I think in that situation…maybe we just let the leader, let the lone car on the front row stay there – no sliding up. Maybe that’s more fair, right? That seems like a more reasonable thing, ’cause it definitely changed the outcome of this race.” Hamlin pointed out the irony, as he faced similar criticism earlier in the year at Richmond when NASCAR did not adopt a fair stance towards him.
Reflecting on the Brickyard 400’s controversial finish, Hamlin drew parallels to a recent race, the Toyota Owners 400, where his teammate Martin Truex Jr. dominated most of the laps only to see Hamlin snatch victory after an early restart. Despite violating the rulebook, NASCAR overlooked Hamlin’s infraction with the justification, “We’re a live sporting event. We don’t have the luxury of a timeout, and go to the sidelines, and review it, and make that call.” Michael McDowell also criticized the restart rules, echoing Hamlin’s views on Larson’s win at the Brickyard 400: “If you’re the leader, you should have the advantage under every circumstance. There should never be a situation where the leader doesn’t have the advantage on a restart…You watch Formula One, they restart where they want to. Watch IndyCar, they restart where they want to. The leader (has) earned the right to control the race. In our situation, it’s not. It’s entertainment that we’ve got to be two- and three-wide and put on a show at the end of it. Because of that, not the best car wins.”
Hamlin’s stance seems contradictory given his actions in Richmond earlier this year, yet it highlights a persistent grey area in the NASCAR rulebook. Even Ryan Blaney admitted after the race that the rules remain ambiguous. As controversies like these continue to arise, NASCAR must address these inconsistencies to maintain fairness and integrity in the sport.