So, Denny Hamlin, NASCAR is now beyond criticism?
That’s what Hamlin was sounding like Friday, supporting the organization for its punishment of Clint Bowyer’s team after the car that won at New Hampshire was deemed illegal.
There are a lot of people who have a right to sound off on this. However, Hamlin isn’t one of them.
Hamlin is one of NASCAR’s biggest critics. He’s been fined for negative tweets about NASCAR. He’s downright accused NASCAR of making up a pit road speeding penalty against him a few years back at Phoenix in an artificial attempt to liven up the show. (One of his PR guys actually called me to say thanks a few days after I supported his stance in a column.)
Hamlin is on top of the points standings, and the guy who was second just got docked 150 points. It’s one thing to support NASCAR’s decision, the way Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon did during press briefings. But by showing such glee over a potential threat getting penalized, Hamlin doesn’t exactly come off as a confident contender who will find a way to win this thing no matter what anybody else brings to the track.
He comes off as a third-grader, breathing a sigh of relief after discovering the sixth-grade bully went home with a cold before getting the chance to pound him at recess.
Why else would someone who normally equates NASCAR’s management style with The Three Stooges all of a sudden support its absolute wisdom?

