The Veteran NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin has entered the ongoing debate surrounding the future of the sport’s competition package by expressing a firm stance: tire development, not increased horsepower, should be the priority. Hamlin made headlines when he referred to a potential horsepower boost as merely an “illusion,” arguing that it would not significantly enhance the quality of racing.
Hamlin, who has been vocal about changes needed to improve the on-track product, believes that tires with more degradation would create better racing by introducing more strategy and driver skill. According to him, simply adding horsepower might sound appealing to fans and drivers on the surface, but it wouldn’t address the core issues affecting race dynamics—such as dirty air, tire grip, and passing difficulty.
In Hamlin’s view, giving teams a tire compound that wears more noticeably over the course of a race would lead to more exciting and unpredictable outcomes. “What we really need is a tire that falls off,” he said. “That changes everything. Drivers would have to manage their cars better, and we’d see more comers and goers throughout a run.”
His comments add to the broader conversation NASCAR is having with teams, drivers, and fans about how to improve racing quality, particularly on intermediate tracks where passing has been challenging under the current aero and engine setup.
As a respected voice in the garage and co-owner of 23XI Racing, Hamlin’s perspective carries weight—and his push for smarter tire innovation over sheer power may influence future decisions in how NASCAR evolves.
