NASCAR officials have publicly disputed claims made by driver and team co-owner Denny Hamlin regarding the financial implications of a proposed rules package for the upcoming All-Star Race. The proposal, intended to allow teams greater flexibility in modifying their cars for the non-points event, was ultimately rejected by teams.
The governing body had suggested loosening some technical regulations for the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway. The aim was to encourage experimentation and potentially generate new ideas for improving the performance of the Next Gen car, particularly on short tracks where it has faced criticism.
However, teams cited concerns about the significant costs associated with developing and building cars under the proposed, less restrictive rules. They argued that modifications allowed would not be transferable to points-paying races, making the investment solely for a single exhibition event.
Denny Hamlin, who co-owns 23XI Racing, stated on his podcast, "Actions Detrimental," that the proposed plan could have cost his three-car organization up to $2 million. He questioned the financial sense of such an expenditure for a race that pays $1 million to the winner.
Mike Forde, NASCAR's managing director of racing communications, countered Hamlin's assertion on the "Hauler Talk" podcast. Forde claimed Hamlin's math was "off by about $2 million," suggesting the actual cost could have been zero or potentially led to savings. He clarified that the proposal presented to teams did not permit building new parts or modifying existing ones to the extent Hamlin suggested, but instead offered a list of specific allowable adjustments using single-source parts.
Forde explained that teams could have used less-than-perfect body panels or experimented with items like unenforced damper lengths, nose weight distribution variations, mixing spoiler types, and different diffusers. He stressed that manipulating the chassis or creating new components was not part of the offer.
Hamlin responded on social media, expressing skepticism about the notion of running a race team without incurring costs.
Elton Sawyer, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, confirmed that while the concept was explored for months by a working group, resistance from within the industry led NASCAR to pivot away from the plan for this year's All-Star Race.
