Denny Hamlin clarifies stance on NASCAR All-Star Race proposal: "Financially, it doesn't make sense"

Denny Hamlin has reaffirmed his opposition to NASCAR's 'run what ya brung' concept for the 2025 All-Star Race, citing major cost concerns. Speaking ahead of the Texas weekend, the 23XI Racing co-owner dismissed suggestions that his team's $2 million estimate was inflated, doubling down on why the proposal simply wasn't viable from a business standpoint.

Initially pitched as a one-off technical experiment at North Wilkesboro Speedway, NASCAR's idea allowed teams to modify specific elements of their cars. This includes ride heights, diffusers, strakes, and spoilers while maintaining a single-source supply for parts and prohibiting chassis changes. The goal was to inject innovation into the event and revitalize the short-track format.

However, the proposal sparked confusion and backlash among team owners from the start. Hamlin, one of its most vocal critics, has now offered insight into why he believes the idea was unworkable. When asked about NASCAR communications head Mike Forde's rebuttal of his cost claims, Hamlin dismissed the notion that he'd overstated his case (via Frontstretch):

"I'm now a five-year experienced team owner. So, I think I know what it costs... Certainly if we didn't have to, junk up three cars, the cost of that goes down. But still, financially, it doesn't make sense. The R&D itself would just cost a lot of money." (0:45 onwards)

According to Denny Hamlin, even within the outlined constraints, teams would inevitably push the limits in untethered areas of the car. He noted that while certain elements would be 'tech-ed' by officials, the real financial burden would stem from the race shops’ R&D operations exploring all the untested components.

He further revealed that an internal document from NASCAR listed a range of modifiable parts. And while these retained single-source integrity on paper, Hamlin believed the lack of clear technical guardrails would invite loopholes:

"A lot of it because it was vague... When I looked at the sheet, there was going to be a lot that could be altered. Yes, it's single source parts, but essentially if you're only tech-ing the items they listed... we're going to mess around in all those other areas and we're going to do things to stuff that they're not looking at." (1:08 onwards)

Hamlin also echoed the concerns first raised by Hendrick Motorsports crew chief, Chad Knaus, and Team Penske competition director, Travis Geisler, in their preliminary meetings with NASCAR officials. He claimed that both veterans had warned about the cost implications of introducing such modifications in a non-point event.

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"It would just be an arms race": Denny Hamlin on the NASCAR All-Star Race controversy

Denny Hamlin during Media Day at Daytona International Speedway. Source: Imagn

For Denny Hamlin, the wastefulness of the proposal lay in its isolation from the broader NASCAR Cup Series eco-system. The idea of building one-off components for a single exhibition race, and then discarding them, struck him as fiscally irresponsible. Especially given the $1 million winner's purse at the NASCAR All-Star Open race in North Wilkesboro Speedway.

While he acknowledged that spending was voluntary, he added that the current rules would make the race less competitive (via Frontstretch):

"Yes I understand it's your option to spend. But, we don't all show up to just show up, we go to compete. Unfortunately, it would just be an arms race of who would be willing to spend the most." (2:12 onwards)

Hamlin also questioned the logic of turning such a race into a points-paying event. While that could theoretically increase its value, the Joe Gibbs Racing veteran argued it wouldn’t resolve the fundamental problem of the 'short track program'.

Denny Hamlin's remarks highlight a deeper philosophical divide. While NASCAR wants to spice up the All-Star Race with technical variation, team owners remain cautious of unintended consequences.