Denny Hamlin Challenges Supposed Progress of Charter Deal; Says Talks Are "Stagnant"
It’s been two years since NASCAR began negotiation the terms of its new charter agreement with NASCAR Cup Series teams, which is set to take effect in 2025. However, four months before that deal would come into effect, the two sides are still at odds.
And there’s not even a clear answer on where things stand, at the moment, as the opposing sides continue to starkly disagree, even about the level of progress that has been made in recent talks, as Denny Hamlin so eloquently pointed out on Wednesday.
Hamlin, a co-owner of 23XI Racing, was asked about the state of the charter talks during NASCAR’s Playoff Media Day, which he says are “stagnant” and will require one side to “wake up and be reasonable” if there is any hope of striking a deal.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, NASCAR seems to think they’re approaching the checkered flag on this deal. According to Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal, NASCAR is aiming to have charter talks done before Sunday’s playoff-opener at Atlanta.
The reality of the situation, at least according to Hamlin, is that things aren’t really progressing in the manner that NASCAR is implying, but instead that the sanctioning body is actually moving in the wrong direction, away from a middle ground with teams.
“I believe I am [telling the truth] from our standpoint, but it depends on who you ask," said Hamlin. "But certainly, I feel like yeah, there’s probably a handful of teams that are just happy to take any deal that they can get and there’s others with some business sense that says this is unreasonable.”
Hamlin notes that while talking amongst the teams is permitted, it’s not a foolproof solution, as everybody is going to do what works best for their organization and what they feel is fair for their respective situation.
In this process, though, the 54-time NASCAR Cup Series winner has been launched forward as the proverbial megaphone, speaking out on the issues when asked in media availabilities or on his podcast “Actions Detrimental”.
For Hamlin, this is all just a matter of bettering the sport that he has dedicated the last two decades to, as he moves into the closing stages of his driving career, and the opening stages of his tenure as 23XI Racing team owner.
"That's the thing. We're all trying to improve the sport and grow the sport. We all want what's best for the sport. If the sport does great, we will do better, so I think we all just need to figure out how to lock arms and do it together. But we don't have any agreement in front of us that is locking of arms, it's all one-sided.
“People see me gripe, but they have to realize I made a good living in this as a NASCAR driver and I chose to invest back in the France family and NASCAR, and they are yet to show me an opportunity where I’m going to get that back.”
Despite all of the time that NASCAR and the teams had to negotiate this further, Hamlin says he isn’t surprised that it’s dragged on this long. While it can be a distraction, the 43-year-old says that he works hard to compartmentalize each part of his life and not let it seep into the others.
“Oh, yeah, I had a feeling this was going to go all the way to the 11th hour for sure. And there’s just been a lot of stall tactics that have been in play and here we are.”
“I’m going to thrive in chaos. That’s my MO. But, generally speaking, I always prepare as much as I can as a driver, do my job as an owner, do my job as a podcaster and certainly, are my days filled now with disgruntled people calling me saying we’ve got to do this or we’ve got to do that, yeah, absolutely. But it doesn’t change when I put my helmet on. I’m always going to be locked in.”
So, what happens if this agreement doesn’t get finished by next season?
If no charter agreement is pushed through, Hamlin says that the teams will retain all their rights, and as far as he knows, will still be able to field entries in the NASCAR Cup Series. But, if that ends up being the case, all of that money that 23XI Racing and several other teams in the NASCAR Cup Series have spent to acquire charters will be essentially flushed down the toilet.
Until a deal is completed, or not, charters and the negotiations to renew them will remain one of the biggest topics in the NASCAR world, and will have to go head-to-head for airtime and print space with the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs
JOSEPH SRIGLEY