In a sport where drivers dominate the track, broadcasters like Danielle Trotta shape NASCAR’s narrative with trusted insight and poise. From her early days in Carmel, Indiana, to hosting NASCAR shows on Fox Sports, SiriusXM, and now Amazon Prime Video, she’s become a familiar voice in the sport. But despite her polished presence and lighthearted behind-the-scenes storytelling, Trotta recently found herself at the center of a bizarre storm—forced to publicly call out a fake rumor that spread online about her NASCAR Playoffs Media Day appearance

Daneille Trotta at the center of NASCAR’s media day storm

Recently, a sensational claim surfaced on the broadcaster. A tweet alleged Trotta was escorted out of NASCAR Playoffs Media Day at Denny Hamlin’s request, with a supposed conversation between the two going as follows: “”Every reporter asks the same f—g question… ‘Is this finaly the year heading into the playoffs ?’… I’m just pi—d off.””- Denny Hamlin. “”Does it concern you that Taylor Swift got a ring on her finger before you did?- Danielle Trotta.” While ironically being a meme made from a parody account impersonating another X account, this sparked a frenzy among the NASCAR community. She later cleared the air on the confusion, quoting the fan’s tweet and writing, “This is untrue. Fake reporting by AI. Never happened.”

The incident unfolds against the backdrop of a celebrity whirlwind. American Pop icon Taylor Swift’s high-profile engagement to NFL star Travis Kelce, announced in late August, had the pop world in a chokehold. The couple revealed the news in a playful Instagram post, joking, “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” alongside romantic garden proposal photos featuring a stunning vintage cushion-cut engagement ring designed by Artifex Fine Jewelry. While the original account posting the tweet confirmed, “Danielle Trotta has us blocked btw,” the whole scenario was addressed by Trotta herself in SiriusXM NASCAR’s On Track podcast.

“I don’t even know who they are, but now like fans are adding them and then adding me and Denny going, ‘is this true?’ So it’s kind of funny actually. Like I don’t like false reporting, but this one made me laugh… That’s actually really good. You’re going to make up something. I think you’d laugh. At least make me laugh,” she said, clearly enjoying the good laugh they had out of the situation. “I don’t know if Denny would laugh.” She also confirmed that the conversation never really happened with Hamlin, as they never met each other in the first place. “Never saw Denny yesterday. Larry and I had 12 of the 16 drivers. Denny was not on our show. He was actually on Moody’s show. So never even saw Denny, but that’s creative. I don’t know where these people come up with this stuff, but it made me laugh,” she said.

But this also brought back memories from Hamlin’s own engagement with fiancée Jordan Fish, especially thanks to Jordan’s cheeky Instagram caption when they revealed the news: “Rings: DH 0, Jordan 1.” It was a playful tease that perfectly summed up the narrative: despite Hamlin’s 58 Cup Series wins, he is still chasing both the elusive championship and engagement rings. Told from Fish’s point of view, the joke reflected a warm banter between them, to which Hamlin later admitted with a laugh, “I actually came up with that caption. I love picking on myself. Nobody will make fun of me more than I’m willing to make fun of myself.”

Knowing both Hamlin and Trotta, this little joke may not have ended in a huge controversy if fans had taken the post sarcastically. But social media can be deceptive, and it is always necessary to verify every news.

NASCAR Broadcaster backs Denny Hamlin for 2025 championship run

The NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are here, and once again, all eyes are on Denny Hamlin. With 19 postseason appearances, more than any other active driver, and 58 Cup wins under his belt, the 44-year-old continues to chase the one achievement that has eluded him: a championship. His 2025 season has been one of his most convincing yet, with dominant performances like leading 274 of 400 laps at Martinsville, alongside wins at Darlington, Michigan, and Dover. Behind the scenes, Hamlin’s focus on simulator hours and data analytics has underscored just how serious he is about this year’s title run.

That effort hasn’t gone unnoticed. On the Rubbin’ is Racing podcast, Parker Kligerman boldly declared, “Cup side, it’s Denny Hamlin’s year until it isn’t. So it’s always Denny Hamlin’s year. I got him in the championship 4.” Kligerman, who stunned the Xfinity Series by stepping in as relief driver at Daytona and winning, emphasized that Hamlin’s 2025 form is the sharpest he has ever seen. He pointed to Hamlin’s race execution and Joe Gibbs Racing’s pit crew, who are averaging a blistering 9.56-second four-tire stop, as proof that the No. 11 team is firing on all cylinders.

Kligerman didn’t stop with Hamlin. He laid out his full prediction: “I’ve got William Byron. My Wildcard entry in championship 4 is Bubba Wallace. Career year. I love what him and Charles are doing, I just think they can have a strong run in the playoffs… I think I have Blaney in there.” With Byron leading Hendrick Motorsports, Blaney finding form, and Wallace’s consistency at 23XI Racing, Kligerman sees a mix of established stars and fresh threats shaping this year’s championship chase. For Hamlin, though, it all comes down to whether 2025 is finally the season where he sheds the “best without a title” label.