Denny Hamlin continues to voice strong criticism of the NASCAR Next Gen car, openly disagreeing with Kyle Petty over the design and performance of the vehicle, as the debate intensifies ahead of the Richmond Raceway race. Hamlin’s outspoken stance on the Denny Hamlin Next Gen car opinion highlights not only the differences with Petty, but also persistent questions about the future direction of the Cup Series’ flagship car.
Disagreement Grows Over Next Gen Car Direction
A split has emerged in the NASCAR community regarding the merits of the Next Gen car, with Denny Hamlin and Kyle Petty representing opposing viewpoints on whether the new design has truly benefited the sport. Petty maintains that the shift to the Next Gen car steered NASCAR away from outdated technology and into a more advanced era, replacing parts like carburetors with modern components. However, Petty acknowledges that technical modernization does not automatically translate to a better racing product.
Hamlin addressed Petty’s criticisms during a media session at Richmond Raceway. He acknowledged that stock cars in the classic sense are long gone, noting that Petty was
“right in that sense [that we don’t drive stock cars]. Certainly, it’s not a stock car,”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver. Hamlin recognized Petty’s memories of the earlier days, explaining,
“I definitely heard him talk about you know, ‘We used to just bring a car off the street and turn it into a racecar.’ Obviously, those days have been gone for decades now. Yeah, so, he’s definitely, partially right.”
Hamlin explained that the excitement with the Next Gen car’s introduction came from larger performance gaps between cars. He noted that
“to address kind of the, we’ve had exciting moments in this car, and I don’t disagree with that. The issue is that it happened early in the Next Gen era where there was so much disparity between the fast cars and slower cars. Now, everyone, over time, since there’s been no development for years and years now and nothing’s really changed, the field has just tightened up. You can see it from the fastest to the slowest,”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver. He used Richmond as a key example, comparing initial lap time spreads to current racing, which are closer than ever, making overtaking extremely difficult even for the fastest competitors.
Softer Tires and Calls for Further Changes
At Richmond, teams dealt with surprisingly soft tires during practice, leading to concerns about the available number of sets for the race. Despite the worry, NASCAR elected not to supply more tires ahead of the evening’s event. Tire performance is a long-standing focus for Hamlin, who argues that enhanced grip could add unpredictability and excitement to races if other aspects like horsepower or downforce remain unchanged. According to Hamlin, improved tires could compensate for other limitations and create more compelling on-track battles.
Expanding on his concerns, Hamlin said,
“So, that’s the fundamental part that is going to be tough for us to kind of overcome,”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver. He explained that overcoming the car’s limitations would require significant alterations, noting,
“Unless, you know, we have some major changes or with the tire, we’re working on that. Goodyear is working on that. We’re coming here with a more aggressive tire. You’ve gotta applaud that, that they’re willing to do it. And that came from trying it last year. But beyond that, we’ve gotta fix the attitude,”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver.
Advocating for an Xfinity-Style Racing Approach
Hamlin has repeatedly advocated for modifying the car’s aerodynamic characteristics, preferring an approach similar to the Xfinity Series. He believes that reducing underbody downforce and placing more reliance on overbody aero would reopen opportunities for drivers to make moves on track, particularly when pursuing a lead car. This, according to Hamlin, would reward skill and strategy, instead of locking in advantages for the front-runner.
He reaffirmed this belief, stating,
“I’ve said it a million times on my podcast. Getting rid of the underbody downforce and putting it on the overbody so you have the ability, like you do in the Xfinity Series, to drive up behind someone and get them off the bottom. That’s when running the same speed will be okay, because you can at least get close to the car in front of you to get them, to manipulate them, and slow them down. Where, right now, the leader has the 100% advantage over the second-place car. Xfinity, it’s a little bit more even, more 50/50,”
—Denny Hamlin, Driver.
Potential Changes on the Horizon, But Not Soon
As Hamlin continues his push for adjustments to the Next Gen car, NASCAR has signaled that a horsepower increase may be planned, though not before 2026. However, Hamlin and others with similar viewpoints are eyeing more immediate changes, specifically to downforce and aerodynamics. Given the slow pace of these adjustments, Hamlin’s perspective strikes a chord with competitors and fans frustrated by the status quo.
The ongoing debate among major NASCAR figures, such as Denny Hamlin and Kyle Petty, is shaping the conversation about the sport’s top-level competition and where innovation and tradition should intersect. With organizations like Goodyear committed to tire experimentation and names like Richmond Raceway coming up as testing grounds for new ideas, the outcome of these discussions may shape the future of racing and the fan experience for years to come.
