23XI Racing co-owner Denny Hamlin recalled the legal battle against NASCAR after Tyler Reddick clinched the 2026 Daytona 500 title. During the post-race press conference, Hamlin called the antitrust lawsuit a “wake-up” call for the governing body.
The situation arose when 23XI Racing and FRM refused to sign the charter agreement in October 2024 and filed an antitrust lawsuit against the racing organization. After an intense battle, both parties settled ahead of the 2026 Cup Series season. However, the lawsuit drew significant scrutiny toward the stock car racing association’s public image.
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The Cup Series team made former NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps’s remarks about Richard Childress public. This reflected badly on the association’s reputation, and later, he resigned from his role after 20 years of service. Recalling such instances, Denny Hamlin told the press:
“I think that December was a wake-up call. I think the conversations since then have been a lot of self-reflection, in my opinion, from NASCAR about, I think, how they would have done things differently had they had the opportunity, but we knew that we needed to stick up for what we believed was right. I said all along that’s why [I] was very confident for the last year because [of] what the facts were, but we have to now figure out how we can get the sport back where it was decades ago.”
The Cup Series veteran Denny Hamlin now wants to move on from the case and focus on improving the sport. Following the fiasco, NASCAR has made major changes to the 2026 Cup Series season. The governing body reintroduced a decades-old playoff system, replacing the elimination-style format with the Chase format.
Denny Hamlin shared his excitement about sponsorship renewal with National Debt Relief
Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin and National Debt Relief initially joined hands for four races in the 2025 season. The alliance made its first appearance at the 2025 Daytona 500. Following that, the debt settlement company renewed its partnership with Hamlin for the 2026 Cup Series season.
The National Debt Relief will sponsor Joe Gibbs Racing’s #11 Toyota Camry XSE for 12 races this season. Just like last year, the alliance made its first appearance at the season’s opener, the Daytona 500, held on Feb. 15, 2026, at Daytona International Speedway.
Reflecting on that, Denny Hamlin stated via team release:
“National Debt Relief is a great partner for our No. 11 team. Last year, their team was incredible with how they became ingrained with Joe Gibbs Racing and how they activated with the commercial spot and during the broadcasts, which grew awareness that National Debt Relief is a brand consumers can trust to help them find a faster path to debt freedom. I’m excited to see how we can continue to grow this partnership and get them to victory lane in 2026.”
Denny Hamlin had a strong qualifying session for the 500-mile race. He secured a P2 finish in the Duel 2 in his #11 Toyota Camry XSE. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had some tough luck in the 200-lap race and finished the event in P31, earning a mere six points.
Edited by Karan Yadav
