NASCAR has seen substantial scrutiny regarding the appeals ruling handed down to Denny Hamlin from the National Motorsports Appeals Panel, and Cup drivers have weighed in their opinions. Kyle Busch, a Cup series driver and competitor of Hamlin, expressed that Hamlin felt completely “side-swiped” by the ruling due to his expectation that he had made a strong case for the reversal or overturn of his penalty. Although Hamlin acknowledged that the appeals process was fair, he expressed confusion regarding the ruling, noticing the lack of alignment with his provided data and the existing precedent.
Fan and driver criticism, as well as NASCAR itself, followed the discrepancy between rulings received by Kaulig Racing and Hendrick Motorsports. NASCAR took necessary steps to rectify the conversation by adding new elements to the rule book. One of which reserves the right of the National Motor Sports Appeal Panel (as well as the Final Appeal Officer) to not be able to overturn any element of the penalty listed originally. NASCAR also announced its right to publish the Appeals Panel/FAO justification for modified or canceled penalties in the rule book. The drivers seem to support these changes and additionally suggest making the entire process more transparent.
NASCAR, the premier stock car racing organization in the United States, is entering its 73rd season of existence. It has continued to strive for improved safety and higher integrity levels, especially after increasing dialogue between drivers and the higher positions such as the chairman. With continually evolving rules and regulations, NASCAR plans to create a level playing field for all competitors in the Cup series.
The person mentioned in the article is Denny Hamlin. Hamlin is a well-known NASCAR Cup Series driver, currently driving the Number 11 car. He is a four-time winner of the Daytona 500, and has over thirty career wins under his belt. Hamlin is an advocate for transparency in the appeals process and believes that drivers should know the criteria on which penalty rulings are based.
The company mentioned in the article is Hendrick Motorsports. Hendrick Motorsports is an elite NASCAR Team that has won over two hundred NASCAR Premier Series races. Led by legendary owner Rick Hendrick, the team fields four full-time teams consisting of drivers such as Alex Bowman, William Byron, and Chase Elliott. The team also fields a NASCAR XFinity Series entry as well as a NASCAR Gander Outdoor Truck Series entry. Hendrick Motorsports has been a major force in NASCAR for over thirty years, and is looking to continue its success in the 2020 season.
