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23XI co-owner and Joe Gibbs Racing driver, Denny Hamlin, is not happy with the way NASCAR has been handling its division of opportunity.
The driver has accused NASCAR of favoritism, alleging that the stock-car association favors Hendrick Motorsports, owned by Rick Hendrick. On Twitter, SPEED SPORT posted that Hamlin is not happy with NASCAR's plans for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
NASCAR recently announced that they will be heading to France for the 2023, 24 Hours of Le Mans. NASCAR landed a special entry spot, Garage 56, in Le Mans to showcase its latest innovation with the newly launched Next Gen car.
It seems that by the time of the announcement, many teams had no idea what was going on and they found out through the media. Hendrick Motorsports was the only team with information as official partners for the event.
Hendrick Motorsports is mandated to produce a specially modified Next Gen Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. The shortlisted drivers who will be turning laps in Le Mans are also from Hendrick Motorsports, including its Vice chairman Jeff Gordon.
The announcement was not well received by other drivers, including Denny Hamlin, who raised concerns about transparency. While speaking to reporters at COTA, he was asked about the announcement and didn't sugarcoat his response. Hamlin stated that:
“Finding out through a press conference is not OK. We have too many people in place. NASCAR has too many executives for that to slip through the cracks. Not that that slipped through the cracks, but where is the transparency of it? ”
The No. 11 driver also took issue with NASCAR’s communication.
Denny Hamlin always speaks up when things are not going well
Denny Hamlin is not one to keep quiet when things are going south.
He might complain a lot, but he is very passionate about changing the industry and creating opportunities. It's not the first time Hamlin has complained about the favoritism in NASCAR. In 2017, he took to Twitter and stated that:
".@NASCAR is showing favoritism to @ToyotaRacing when did this start? #encumbered. Concentrate on your own program bro."
The three-time winner of the Daytona 500, teamed up with former basketball legend Michael Jordan in 2020 to form the 23XI team. The team currently has two drivers, Bubba Wallace Jr. and Kurt Busch, who joined them this season.
