Denny Hamlin gives incredibly hot take on Dale Earnhardt's potential for modern superspeedway racing

Dale Earnhardt tallied 13 of his 76 career NASCAR Cup Series victories on superspeedways, including a record 10 wins at Talladega. His son, Dale Earnhardt Jr., compiled 10 of his 26 victories on superspeedways. But would the Earnhardts be as successful with today’s superspeedway package? Denny Hamlin isn’t convinced.

Hamlin, speaking on Monday’s “Actions Detrimental” podcast, said that both “would have never survived” in today’s superspeedway racing, citing the influence OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) have on which drivers can draft with each other.

Would Dale Earnhardt be able to win with today’s superspeedway package? 🤔@dennyhamlin pic.twitter.com/Up5zOcGbaD

— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) February 11, 2025

“Dale Jr. and Dale Earnhardt would have never survived in today’s superspeedway racing,” Hamlin said. “Wouldn’t of done it. A, they wouldn’t have been successful because of how superspeedway racing happens today. But then to be told who you can and can’t draft with? It’s nonsense, but it’s the world we live in.”

Perhaps the Earnhardts would have adapted to today’s superspeedway racing. Or, like Hamlin said, maybe they wouldn’t have played ball. Hamlin has certainly had success in the current era, winning three Daytona 500s (2016, ’19, ’20). He made it clear where he stands on the subject of manufacturers having a say on which drivers one can draft with.

“We absolutely know that manufacturers play a role in who you draft with and who you don’t. Teams play a role with who you draft with and who you don’t,” Denny Hamlin said. “I hate all of it, just for the record. I’d rather use anybody and everybody to my advantage.”

In an effort to further clarify its rule book, NASCAR adjusted some language on race manipulation and also updated its section on manufacturer penalties. The sanctioning body introduced some rulings on OEMs that are a little more streamlined and less open to interpretation.

NASCAR updates manufacturer penalties with new addition to rule book

“NASCAR reserves the right to determine if an OEM has violated the NASCAR Rule Book and may impose penalties on the OEM or its representatives accordingly,” the new section on manufacturer penalties reads. “The following framework serves as a general guidelines for assessing OEM penalties. The examples provided are illustrative and not exhaustive, offering clarity on the types and ranges of infractions that may result in penalties, should NASCAR determine enforcement is warranted.”

The clarifications on manufacturer penalties comes immediately after some tweaked verbiage on rules relating to race manipulation. Those tweaks were one step toward curbing some of the behavior NASCAR saw at Martinsville in a playoff race last season. Multiple drivers drew scrutiny then for potential race manipulation that would impact the playoff standings as a handful of drivers pushed to finish in the final four.

Christopher Bell appeared to get an assist from fellow Toyota driver Bubba Wallace, who slowed down considerably, letting Bell pass, on the final lap. Then there was Ross Chastain and Austin Dillon, who seemed to slow down and block the track up for William Byron so he wouldn’t lose any further positioning.

Now, the race manipulation rule reads as follows:

“Any Member who attempts to improperly influence the outcome of the Event or encourages, persuades or induces others to do so shall be subject to penalties, as outlined in Section 10 Violations and Disciplinary Action. Prohibited actions include, but are not limited to, intentional planning or conduct that prioritizes objectives other than achieving the best possible competitive result for their team.”

Denny Hamlin appreciates the changes, aimed at keeping the integrity of the sport intact.

“I appreciate what they’re trying to do and that’s keep the integrity of the sport,” Hamlin said. “We have this thing, the old Dam of Legitimacy with NASCAR, right. And it has a lot of cracks in it. And we’re just trying to stop the water from flowing here. So, I think they had seen too much from Martinsville and said, ‘It’s getting out of control now.'”

On3’s Thomas Goldkamp contributed to this article.