Denny Hamlin criticizes NASCAR Iowa tire decision after the latest Cup Series event, expressing frustration over the lack of passing during Sunday’s race at Iowa Speedway and blaming the tire compound for the stagnant action. Hamlin voiced strong concerns about how tire choices and car setups are affecting race dynamics, leaving fans and competitors discontented with the overall spectacle.
Hamlin Expresses Disappointment Over Iowa Race Action
The response to the NASCAR Cup Series race held in Iowa was notably divided. While the event provided some competitive moments, there was limited movement among leaders in the final third of the race. This slow pace toward the finish became a key point of contention among drivers and fans alike.
Hamlin, who drives the No. 11 car, pointed to the tires as a primary factor contributing to the lackluster racing. He explained that the compound selected for the Iowa track did not encourage passing, likening the race conditions to those at other tracks where overtaking becomes a rare occurrence.
“It’s the yo-yo effect you see at Martinsville. No one can pass,”
Hamlin said on the Actions Detrimental Podcast. —Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Driver
He elaborated further, describing the challenge even for faster cars when trailing those further back in the pack.
“You can’t pass the 30th-place car. That is the problem we’re talking about and that is what we have to fix. It’s that the leader looks like superman because he can run half throttle and just hold everyone off. Chase Briscoe at Pocono.”
—Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Driver
How Tire Choices Impacted Race Strategy
Throughout the Iowa event, the tire compound showed minimal fall-off, meaning grip levels remained stable for many laps. This limited tire degradation removed a crucial variable, often leaving strategies to be determined more by fuel calculations than by tire management.
Numerous cautions in the third stage allowed drivers at the front to manage their fuel without risk, reducing the need for creative strategy and further stifling opportunities for passing. Ultimately, William Byron capitalized on the status quo and secured a routine victory, reinforcing his position atop the NASCAR leaderboard. Meanwhile, Hamlin remained vocal about his discontent with the tire selection and its effects on the race.
Discussing the outcome, Hamlin suggested that a more noticeable difference in lap times—created by a softer tire compound—would have allowed for more exciting competition through risk and reward on tire wear.
“If you can do it at a short track, that should be like the eye-opener,”
Hamlin recounted. He continued,
“Goodyear’s really done a good job all year long of trying to implement softer and softer tires. It’s just this one, I don’t know how they got where they got on this tire. And I’m sure there was a reason for it. But when you look at the lap times and it was just a flat ass, level, no drop-off in 50 laps. It’s like I don’t know what we expect.”
—Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Driver
He added,
“That means the tire is so hard that it just takes dramatic amount of downforce to push that tire into the racetrack and get it to grip. Nobody but the first few cars have enough air to do that.”
—Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Driver
Ongoing Confusion Over Tire Decision-Making
Hamlin raised questions about whether the ultimate authority for tire selection lies with Goodyear or NASCAR, emphasizing that transparency and communication need improvement.
“I don’t know. I can’t really say who makes the call on that,”
he said.
“I do know that they had a tire that dropped off 2.5 seconds in 25 laps. So you would think like there’s somewhere in this there’s a happy medium to be had. How do you go from nothing to 2.5 seconds? Somewhere in here is a mix, right?”
—Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Driver
Hamlin further stated,
“And even if you have a tire, hell this one corded in 60 laps. So it had zero dropoff until it cords. So it’s just, I don’t know. This is not a good tire combination for this track.”
—Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Driver
He noted the importance of finding a balanced tire that neither remains too consistent nor degrades excessively, seeing this as crucial for the competitiveness of future races.
Concerns for Midwest Fans and NASCAR’s Growth
Beyond the technical issues, Hamlin highlighted concerns for fans in the Midwest, pointing out that NASCAR doesn’t host many races in that region. Fans often travel from neighboring states to attend races like the one in Iowa, making it essential for NASCAR to deliver an exciting product for their efforts. Sunday’s lack of passing left many, including Hamlin, dissatisfied.
Hamlin stated that the organization owes fans a better show, especially at venues with limited annual opportunities, emphasizing the need to reward their commitment with more engaging racing.
Hamlin Calls for Car Setup Changes and Future Improvements
Suggesting solutions, Hamlin called for technological and setup changes to address persistent problems with the Cars’ behavior in traffic.
“You want to make it better, for sure,”
Hamlin said.
“Until we get the front of these racecars on the ground instead of a foot off the ground we’re going to continue to have the same problems, and that is when we get behind someone we’re just going to plow.”
—Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Driver
He became more passionate in his plea, emphasizing how car design impacts racing.
“The attitude of the cars are wrong. It’s wrong, it’s wrong, it’s wrong, it’s wrong, please fix it, it’s wrong, it’s wrong. Fix the attitude of the car, it’ll make them better in traffic. More overbody, less underbody. If you want the same amount of downforce put it on the overbody, take it off the underbody. God dangit, it drives me crazy.”
—Denny Hamlin, NASCAR Driver
Hamlin’s comments reflect a broader frustration among drivers and some fans about recent NASCAR races dominated by track position rather than on-track overtakes, with key figures like Chase Briscoe and William Byron representing the sport’s present and future. The intense debate around tire choices and racecar configuration signals ongoing conflict about how best to enhance competition and excitement on tracks like Iowa and throughout the Midwest.
As NASCAR considers changes for upcoming events, Hamlin’s criticism underscores the challenge in balancing safety, excitement, and competitive integrity—a debate that continues to shape the future of the racing series.
