Denny Hamlin, a long-time fixture in NASCAR and currently driving for Joe Gibbs Racing, has raised concerns about a drying well of sponsorship money within the sport of NASCAR.

Denny Hamlin is struggling to attract sponsors for the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series but two of his Joe Gibbs Racing teammates have received a boost.

Three-time Daytona 500 winner and 23XI Racing team co-owner Hamlin is a harsh critic of the new ‘Open Exemption Provisional’ (OEP) that encourages and guarantees world-class drivers a spot to compete in the Cup Series.

Denny Hamlin‘s offseason was anything but quiet. In addition to being front and center of 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports’ antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR, Hamlin saw his longtime crew chief Chris Gabehart promoted to Joe Gibbs Racing director of competition.

Denny Hamlin said Saturday that NASCAR’s new Open Exemption Provisional “reeks of desperation” when asked how he felt about the sanctioning body granting a world-class driver from another

Denny Hamlin is seen before the NASCAR Cup Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway on Nov. 10, 2024. [Editor’s note: The following article is from Athlon Sports’ 2025 Racing Annual magazine. Order your copy online today,

The excitement was high when NASCAR returned to the Bowman Gray Stadium. The post Denny Hamlin Proposes a Twist in the Tale for NASCAR’s Clash in 2026 appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Denny Hamlin called NASCAR "desperate" over its new driver provisional in 2025. Find out what else Hamlin had to say about the new NASCAR rule!