Denny Hamlin isn’t backing down. The NASCAR veteran and 23XI Racing co-owner is sticking to his guns about the scrapped “Run What Ya Brung” All-Star Race idea. He says it would have cost teams a whopping $2 million each, even though NASCAR officials and other drivers like Dale Earnhardt Jr. think he’s way off.
The controversial All-Star Race format, which has since been scrapped, would have allowed teams to experiment with relaxed rules while using single-sourced parts. The proposal sparked immediate division within the NASCAR community, with Hamlin emerging as one of the most vocal opponents based on financial concerns.
Denny Hamlin’s Stand Against the All-Star Race
“Financially, it doesn’t make sense. The R&D itself would just cost a lot of money,” Hamlin told Frontstretch. He wasn’t just worried about parts; he was concerned about all the testing and engineering work teams would need to do to stay competitive.
“Yes, I understand it’s your option to spend. But, we don’t all show up to just show up, we go to compete. Unfortunately, it would just be an arms race of who would be willing to spend the most,” he explained.
NASCAR officially shot back at Hamlin’s claims. Mike Forde, NASCAR’s managing director of racing communications, said Hamlin’s math was “off by about $2 million” and that teams could actually spend nothing or even save money by using existing parts.
Hamlin also pointed out a practical problem: teams would need to sacrifice one of their limited Next Gen cars (worth around $300,000 each) to build a special car for just one race with a $1 million prize. The math just doesn’t work, according to Hamlin.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been pretty blunt about Hamlin’s position. On his podcast, Junior said, “I think it would cost the teams some money, for sure, but not $2 million. I just don’t believe it. I think that is just an excuse to say, ‘Yeah, this is why we didn’t want to do it.’ And I think he’s inflating the cost to make a point.”
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Hamlin also has a bigger issue with the All-Star Race; the prize money hasn’t changed in decades. “A dollar is now $3 today, 30 years ago. So probably three million,” he suggested, arguing that inflation alone should have pushed the purse much higher by now.
While others in NASCAR push for more innovation and risk-taking, Hamlin remains focused on protecting his team’s bottom line in a sport where costs can quickly spiral out of control.