"Someone's nose is growing": When Denny Hamlin fired back at Brian France’s claim that drivers supported his punishment

Denny Hamlin has been a strong and notable figure in the NASCAR world. He has always been vocal and straightforward in his opinions about either on-track things or NASCAR decisions that he doesn't agree with. One such instance happened in 2013 when Hamlin criticized the new Gen 6 car.

The Joe Gibbs Racing team driver was fined $25000 for his comments after the Subway Fresh Fit 500 race at the Phoenix International Raceway. NASCAR's CEO at the time, Brian France, expressed that drivers on the grid supported his decision to penalize Hamlin for his comments.

France added that drivers were allowed to say 'Rowdy Things' and criticize the sport, but only while respecting the line.

"I can't tell you how many drivers came up to me after the Denny Hamlin comment and said, 'You've got to do that or we won't be able to help ourselves from time to time. I'm glad you did that. They all know the line.

"They all know exactly where it is, because we talk about it. I talk about it directly with every one of the drivers, every one of the owners. No disputing that," Brian France said, via USA Today.

Hamlin did not agree to France's statements about the drivers supporting the penalty decision as he expressed himself via X.

Denny Hamlin

@dennyhamlin

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Someone's nose is growing

Denny Hamlin also felt that his situation was not handled fairly, as the authority issued the fine without a conversation with him. He felt that the treatment might have been different from other established drivers.

Denny Hamlin's comments that got him into trouble with a $25000 fine

Denny Hamlin finished third after the Subway Fresh Fit 500 race at Phoenix International Raceway in 2013. However, he was penalized with a hefty amount of $25000 due to his comments, which were considered to be derogatory by the NASCAR officials.

Hamlin criticized the new Gen 6 cars while comparing them to the earlier Gen 5 cars. He said:

"I don't want to be the pessimist, but it did not race as good as our Generation 5 cars. This is more like what Generation 5 was at the beginning. The teams hadn't figured out how to get the aero balance right. Right now, you just run single-file, and you cannot get around the guy in front of you.

"You would have placed me in 20th-place with 30 laps to go, I would have stayed there — I wouldn't have moved up. It's just one of those things where track position is everything." Denny Hamlin said, via Yahoo Sports.

Hamlin finished the 2013 season ranked 23rd in the rankings with one victory, four top-five finishes, and eight top-ten finishes in the entire season.