“Cleetus McFarland’s our 24th entry”: Denny Hamlin laments All-Star race for not being ‘elite anymore’ 

After the 2025 NASCAR All-Star Race, which saw Christopher Bell take the checkered flag last Sunday, Denny Hamlin voiced his frustrations about the current state of the annual exhibition event. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver declared his concerns about the race becoming too inclusive.

During the latest episode of his podcast Actions Detrimental, Hamlin criticized the direction the race has taken, questioning whether it still lives up to its "All-Star" name.

"Was there like 23 cars in the race? ... It's too many. We've watered down the importance of everything. Nothing is elite anymore. It's come one, come all. Here's your participation medals," Denny Hamlin said (35:10 onwards).

Hamlin referenced YouTuber Cleetus McFarland, who has more than 4 million followers on the platform, and said:

"I think an open race is fine, but just, you know, right now to to make it in, you can win this year, last year, any other all-star race. Fan vote, and fan votes. We got all kinds of sh*t that gets you in. I mean, I'm surprised the next move isn't whoever's got the most content followers. Cleetus McFarland's our 24th entry."

The NASCAR All-Star Race started in 1985 and initially allowed only recent champions to enter but the rules changed over the years and any past Cup Series or All-Star winners were allowed. The All-Star Open qualifying race further gave other drivers a chance to enter and since 2004, fans have been voting one driver into the race.

Hamlin also criticized NASCAR's shift toward short-term entertainment at the expense of long-term credibility.

"Stop trying to get these little short-term bursts and lose your long-term credibility. Make it elite like it used to be," he urged.

Meanwhile, Bell's win at the historic 0.625-mile short track, North Wilkesboro Speedway, delivered Joe Gibbs Racing its third All-Star victory.

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"I keep dropping in the points" - Denny Hamlin admits recent struggles

Denny Hamlin finished the All-Star race in 12th place but has been battling a downturn in the recent points races, with disappointing finishes at Texas and Kansas.

"We have a crap draw in qualifying because we finished like crap the last couple of weeks, and I keep dropping in the points because of my bad finishes," Denny Hamlin said (via Motorcyclesports).

After a strong start to the season with two wins at Martinsville and Darlington and another two runner-up finishes at Phoenix and Bristol, the 44-year-old is ranked seventh in the NASCAR Cup points standings. He will move to Charlotte Motor Speedway for the longest race of the season, the Coca-Cola 600. Hamlin won the popular race in 2022 and had a top 5 finish at the 1.5-mile speedway last year.