Denny Hamlin, the veteran NASCAR Cup Series competitor and 23XI Racing co-owner, has firmly opposed a proposed rule change to the 2025 NASCAR All-Star race, raising concerns over both practicality and cost. Speaking out shortly after the rule was suggested, Hamlin cited the projected $1 million price tag as the main reason for his resistance, questioning its feasibility for teams amid ongoing financial pressures in the sport.
Having claimed victory in the 2015 All-Star race, Denny Hamlin carries a significant voice within the racing community, both as a long-time fan favorite and as a respected owner. The suggested rule change would allow teams far greater freedom to modify their cars for the exhibition event, potentially making the race more unpredictable and competitive, but introducing substantial development and engineering expenses.
On his Actions Detrimental podcast, Denny Hamlin gave fans direct insight into his reasoning, remarking,
If you’re just talking to me – the race car driver and the fan – I’m going to say, damn, I wish we had this. This would be fantastic. There could possibly be something that gets learned for the short track package that could make it better.
He acknowledged the appeal of increased on-track variation and more opportunities for passing, but ultimately argued the numbers didn’t add up for competitors.
Hamlin explained,
Everyone wants to go have fun and do all these things, but who is going to pay for it?” He emphasized that, despite the excitement such changes could generate, the $1 million winner’s prize does not offset the huge investment required, concluding,
It’s not feasible and no team is going to sign up to voluntarily lose millions of dollars.”
Denny Hamlin’s rejection of the 2025 NASCAR All-Star rule change sends a clear signal to both fans and officials about the need to balance innovation with economic reality. The outcome of this debate could determine the direction of the sport’s most high-profile exhibition race, shaping what teams, drivers, and spectators can expect in coming seasons.
