Denny Hamlin Sends Out a Brutal 3-Word Verdict on NASCAR’s Safety Gimmick in Talladega

Denny Hamlin does not seem to be a fan of NASCAR’s aerodynamic modifications. With the 2024 YellaWood 500 on the horizon, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has expressed visibility concerns after the sanctioning body proposed an extended-height roof rail amongst several revisions to improve driver safety. Talladega Superspeedway has a reputation for high-speed, multi-car wrecks, and the changes are meant to minimize the chances of the cars going airborne at the 2.66-mile oval.

The racing veteran has been outspoken about the robustness of the Next-Gen cars in the past, claiming that rollovers aren’t necessarily dangerous for the drivers. Hamlin believes that the changes lack an aesthetic appeal amongst other, more practical factors, which has led to opposition from Cup Series drivers.

Denny Hamlin is clearly unimpressed by safety proposals

The stakes are higher than ever at Talladega Superspeedway. The second Round of 12 race could potentially see a title contender secure automatic qualification into the next playoff round by entering Victory Lane, an objective all drivers will be competing for at NASCAR’s longest track. With cars traveling at an average of 188 mph at the ‘Dega’, it’s not surprising that the sanctioning body chose this particular race to make aerodynamic modifications to improve safety standards. However, the changes being suggested haven’t gone down too well with several drivers, particularly Denny Hamlin.

Sharing his views on the Actions Detrimental podcast, the 43-year-old racing veteran said, “This weekend we got briefed by NASCAR on changes that they were proposing for Talladega, which is running that roof rail over our front windshield. Obviously, the drivers were not in favor of that. For one, it looks like a***. Second, it hurts visibility.”

Highlighting the limitations of the proposed modifications, Denny Hamlin went on to say, “We take tear-offs off of our front windshields and Superspeedways is one of the worst tracks for debris on the front windshields. This blocks 15% of the windshield, especially the right front corner where we’re side-drafting, we were constantly looking out that right front windshield to gauge how close we are to each other and others. There’s just not a really good solution.”

NASCAR views on Next-Gen car changes

The playoff race at Talladega promises an action-packed event with intense competition, especially amongst the title contenders. While the Next-Gen car has struggled with overtaking in the past, those challenges have been largely restricted to road courses and short tracks since 2022. However, there remain concerns about driver safety, after several Next-Gen cars have gone airborne at superspeedway tracks this season, which has prompted NASCAR to make changes to the aerodynamics.

Acknowledging the problem that exists on tracks such as the ‘Dega’, where rapid speeds and close-quarter racing lead to wrecks, Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s senior vice president of the competition, said, “It’s a complicated situation there when you’re running the speeds that we’re running. And you put multiple cars close together and how they affect each other. Our guys in the back, I know they’ve been working since Saturday night to kind of recreate all that. And still some additional work on our side to be done.”

The sanctioning body has suggested a variety of changes to the Next-Gen car, such as an extended rocker panel skirt, an extended-height roof rail, and fabric beneath the right-side roof flap to prevent cars from going airborne. It will be interesting to see if any of the aerodynamic modifications can reduce the car’s tendency to go airborne at high speeds.

Such factors could make all the difference between an early retirement and an unscheduled pit stop. With the championship at stake, drivers will need all the help they can get to remain in contention for the silverware at Phoenix Raceway later this year.