Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin has surprised many by agreeing with certain points made by former NASCAR driver and analyst Kyle Petty regarding the Next Gen car. While Hamlin has been one of the most vocal critics of the vehicle, he acknowledged that Petty was right about some aspects of its impact on competition.The comments came after a clip was shared on X by Steven Taranto. In the post, Taranto noted that Denny Hamlin, when asked about Petty’s opinion, admitted the Next Gen car’s most exciting racing happened early during its introduction, before teams had fully adapted to it. According to Hamlin, the lack of ongoing development has tightened the field to the point where nearly every car is running the same speed.“Now everyone over time, since there's been no development for years and years now and nothing's really changed, the field has just tightened up ... The field is just now running the same speed,” Hamlin said.Denny Hamlin suggested that the car’s balance should be altered by reducing underbody downforce and shifting it to the overbody. This, he believes, would allow trailing cars to close in and challenge for the lead more effectively.Kyle Petty’s stance on the Next Gen car comes from a different angle. As sourced via Sportsrush, Petty has long defended NASCAR’s decision to prioritize safety and parity with the new model, even though horsepower was reduced and teams lost the freedom to make costly custom modifications. In his view, this creates a level playing field that benefits the sport overall. He has acknowledged that innovation is now more controlled, with NASCAR taking a proactive approach since 2001, but he believes the car will change over time.Kyle Petty has dismissed calls to return to the older, less standardized vehicles, saying the Next Gen car is a significant upgrade from the outdated models previously used. He has also encouraged fans and drivers to adjust to the changes and appreciate the racing that exists now, despite its limitations on short tracks.Denny Hamlin likens current frustration to Car of Tomorrow backlashIn a recent episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast on YouTube, Denny Hamlin went further with his criticism of the Next Gen car, comparing fan and driver dissatisfaction to the backlash during NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow (COT) era. He recalled that the COT was a downgrade from the Gen 4 cars he started his career with, and believes the Next Gen is headed down a similar path.Hamlin explained that the aerodynamics and design of the Next Gen car make passing more difficult. Combined with reduced horsepower, these changes have hurt the quality of racing. He emphasized that such decisions come from NASCAR’s leadership, not from drivers. Quoting directly from the podcast, as reported, Hamlin said,“I believe that the Next Gen car is reaching hate levels similar to the COT with the wing. From fans, and I think they're starting to dislike this car as much as the drivers that have to drive it.”He went on to criticize NASCAR leadership. He added,“I hate to say it, but no business is immune to bad decisions. I think NASCAR has made some horrible decisions over a given amount of time — let’s leave that unspecified — and eventually it catches up. You can’t just say, ‘This is the direction I want to go.’ Well, why? ‘Well, it’s just the direction I want to go.’ You’re going to have to pay for your bad decisions at some point.”Despite his concerns, Denny Hamlin is having a strong season. With 731 points, he sits third in the Cup Series standings, holding four wins, 12 top-ten finishes, 11 top-five results, and one pole in 23 starts.