Denny Hamlin Scared for NASCAR’s Future as ‘Ugly Reality’ Poses Big Threat to Dale Jr.’s Drivers

In 2017, Denny Hamlin stood on a different kind of podium. Not for a race win, but for a cause. He wasn’t talking about lap times or playoff spots. He was talking money—more specifically, the lack of it. Hamlin made headlines when he said NASCAR drivers were “way underpaid.” He pointed to the grueling schedule, the constant travel, and the danger of racing every week. In his view, drivers deserved compensation on par with NFL or NBA players.

“I’m not including myself. I’m including the back half of the field. Those drivers are risking the same amount I am, and they should be paid a hell of a lot more,” he said at the time. Even then, Hamlin hinted at the financial cracks in the sports’ structure. He saw tracks making serious cash, while the drivers, especially those not running up front, fought to earn a stable income.

Fast forward to today, and it’s clear: Hamlin wasn’t just venting. He saw the warning signs. Now, nearly a decade later, he’s doubling down—and this time, the warning isn’t about his own paycheck. It’s about the future of NASCAR itself, specifically, what that means for the next generation of racers coming up through the ranks.

Denny Hamlin sounds the alarm on NASCAR’s future!

Today, Denny Hamlin is looking beyond his own career and sounding the alarm on a much bigger issue. His concern is how the current NASCAR system threatens the development of young drivers, especially those climbing the ladder through the grassroots fabrics. He reflected on the changes he’s seen since his late model days ahead of this weekend’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington. He pinpointed a major shift in the structure of the sport about a decade ago.

“The Xfinity Series is primarily made of paid drivers. You know, without paid drivers, I don’t know that series truthfully exists. So, it’s just, that’s reality. It’s not popular, and no one here will like it, but that’s just the reality. And so, this is just where we’re at. Then eventually, you know, they make it in the Cup if they’re good enough. And so, it’s just, I don’t know, it’s just different,” he told media in Darlington.

It’s a hard truth. Teams in the lower series rely heavily on drivers who bring sponsorship money to buy a seat, not necessarily those with the most talent. That’s the ugly reality, and it’s one Hamlin says fans won’t like, but it’s where things stand. This trend directly impacts the CARS Tour, and that series runs well—Hamlin praised its growth and organization in contrast to the Xfinity Series.“Really proud to see what that Tour has done, how much growth it’s had over the last couple of years. The way they run it is very organized… It pays well, so they’re really doing a great job promoting that series,” Hamlin added.

The CARS Tour is a late model series owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kevin Harvick, and it makes its debut in FS1 this season. It is one of the most crucial grassroots series in NASCAR and has been around since 2014. However, it has seen incredible growth in the last few years after Dale Jr., Kevin Harvick, Justin Marks, and Jeff Burton took over the leadership in 2023. In 2024, they even increased their purse for select races! Meanwhile, the Xfinity Series has seen a purse decrease in certain races from last season, with an alarming gap between the money that Cup Series drivers receive.

Like Hamlin said, Xfinity has paid drivers, and when the next step up requires a fat check rather than just fast laps, many young hopefuls hit a wall they can’t break through. That’s bad news for Dale Jr.’s vision and for the sport as a whole. However, Hamlin isn’t the only one waving a red flag. Joey Logano, a two-time Cup Series champ, echoed similar frustrations in a 2024 interview. “I get paid to drive a Cup car. I have to pay to drive an Xfinity or a Truck,” he revealed.

Logano, who climbed the ranks like many before him, now sees how broken the system has become. “If a two-time NASCAR champion can’t drive an Xfinity car for free… how do you expect a kid with no experience to come up?” What he’s pointing to is a system where talent alone isn’t enough. Drivers now have to buy their way into seats in the Xfinity and Truck Series. The numbers back him up. In 2025, the Daytona 500 purse for the Cup Series was $30.3 million.

The Xfinity Series? Just $3.76 million. The Truck Series? A mere $1.26 million. These gaps mean lower-tier teams can’t survive on winnings alone. They rely on drivers bringing sponsorship money to fund operations. Joey Logano’s frustrations were echoed across the garage. Even Corey LaJoie, a part-time Cup driver and analyst, admitted he has little interest in running Xfinity or Truck races. Why? Because the payoff isn’t worth it. “It’s all about Sunday,” he said. “I don’t wanna go run F3. I wanna be a Formula 1 driver.”

Notably, the sport’s top tier gets the money, the exposure, and the safety net. The rest? They’re left scrambling. And unless something changes, that ladder from late models to Cup will keep breaking rungs. As for Hamlin, he’s doing what he can. Last week, he grabbed a win at Martinsville. Now, he’s focused on making it back-to-back with a victory at Darlington.

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Hamlin eyes back-to-back wins!

Denny Hamlin still gets it done on race day despite all the off-track concerns. Coming off a dominant win at Martinsville after leading 274 laps, he’s riding a wave of momentum into Darlington for the Goodyear 400. And if there’s one place where Hamlin knows how to shine, it’s The Lady in Black. With four career wins at Darlington, the most among active drivers, Hamlin enters Sunday’s race looking to make it five.

He qualified third, just behind Ryan Preece and pole-sitter William Byron, who is sporting a retro Jeff Gordon flames paint scheme for Throwback Weekend. Hamlin knows success at Darlington well, last winning the Southern 500 there in 2021. He’s also been a playoff regular for years, and this latest win has already locked him into the 2025 postseason. Still, Hamlin remains cautious, even reflective.

“I think it’s always good to question your confidence. If you don’t, you’re left wondering if you’ve truly done all you can,” he said in a pre-race media interaction. That mindset might be why Hamlin continues to perform at a high level at age 44. The #11 has won the Daytona 500 three times and the Coca-Cola 600 once and has 55 career Cup wins. The only thing missing? A championship. But as he gets back behind the wheel at one of his favorite tracks, Hamlin’s eyes build on the momentum.