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NASCAR veteran Denny Hamlin proposed a solution called "The Common Sense Rule" to tackle the recent surge in track penalties that were levied upon drivers in the recent racing weekend at COTA.
NASCAR issued 40 penalties across the three races in the Cup, Xfinity and Truck Series in the recent racing weekend at Circuit of the Americas. The staggering number of penalties that were levied upon the drivers drew widespread criticism from the NASCAR fraternity.
Recently, 52-time Cup Series race winner Denny Hamlin took to his Actions Detrimental podcast to bring forth an interesting idea, a "Common Sense Rule".
"I see both sides of it for sure," said Hamlin. "NASCAR can't have us running straight through the S's. And that's what we would do if we didn't have track limits." (23:55)
Hamlin's proposal revolves around the concept of granting drivers a "buffer zone" on restarts, where they would not be penalized for minor infractions unless they gain a significant advantage. He added:
"I think that you could you could just use a rule and it's called "The Common Sense Rule." And that is that as long as someone does not gain an advantage by cutting the S's, or to get position on someone on a restart, give them a little buffer zone."
He argued that while enforcing track limits is essential to ensure safety and fairness, there should be room for discretion, particularly during high-stakes moments like restarts. Denny Hamlin said:
"I just think that if you cut the SS or you break the track limits, that should be building it should. Because there's too much to be gained if you do shortcut it."
Denny Hamlin claims he "wouldn't change anything" from the weekend in COTA
Despite acknowledging the current backlash on social media, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver reiterated his belief in the necessity of setting clear parameters for racing while also allowing for flexibility in certain situations.
"So I think that it's what we're doing is the right thing. And I know that's not popular right now on social media. But I also think that you've got to have some sort of parameters in which we need to race on."
Despite his proposal, Denny Hamlin cleared his stance on not altering anything from the events that transpired during the recent NASCAR event at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. He said:
"Now I wouldn't change really anything from what we had this weekend. I think NASCAR needs to use the common sense rule for one lap on restarts and let people get singl-filed out then start enforcing it.
On the heels of an emphatic victory in the 500-lapped short-track race in Bristol, Denny Hamlin secured a 14th-place finish at COTA. After six races, Hamlin finds himself fourth in the NASCAR Cup Series standings with 206 points to his name.
