- Denny Hamlin calls out NASCAR for penalising Preece and the appeal process.
- Hamlin says the sanctioning body is inconsistent in its use of SMT data.
- Dale Earnhardt Jr. disagrees with Preece’s penalty, too.
Ahead of the Watkins Glen race, RFK Racing notified that the team would move forward with an appeal against the penalties NASCAR issued to Ryan Preece for the incident involving Ty Gibbs at Texas Motor Speedway in Sunday’s Würth 400.
Denny Hamlin, however, has made it clear that he does not see the appeal process as a level playing field and has questioned whether Preece has a realistic path to having the penalty overturned.
Denny Hamlin calls out NASCAR’s appeal process
On the latest episode of “Actions Detrimental,” Denny Hamlin said he was taken aback when NASCAR issued a 25-point penalty and a $50,000 fine to Ryan Preece, adding that he believes the call should be overturned or reduced through appeal, while also acknowledging that past experience tells him the system rarely tilts in favor of the driver challenging the ruling.
Ryan Preece was penalized after NASCAR determined there was intent behind his contact with Ty Gibbs, based on radio communication from the driver, supported by SMT data prior to the crash. Preece has repeatedly maintained that he did not give Gibbs space based on their prior on-track history. On the other hand, Kyle Busch avoided penalties after his late-race wreck with John Hunter Nemechek under similar scrutiny.
Hamlin, speaking on the appeal filed by RFK Racing, said, “I thought they got most everything wrong on their calls. People think you have the appeals and stuff. It’s not a fair fight, guys. It’s not broadcasted for a reason. I think he has a legit shot of getting it overturned based off of facts and evidence. It’s interesting that they’re now using SMT as a comp for evidence.”
“Not a fair fight”
Hamlin also noted that when he previously raised SMT data in discussions, NASCAR dismissed it as a non-scientific reference, leaving no room for rebuttal in the process. He added, “So they can just say, just so you know, on their side, when they start giving their explanation to this independent panel, there is no, ‘I object.’ You can’t say that. You just have to sit there and let them say whatever they want to say. The process is not a fair fight for the ones that are appealing.”
Hamlin also took issue with NASCAR leaning on radio scanner audio as part of the reasoning for penalizing Preece. He said drivers often say things in frustration over the radio that do not translate into intent on track, and therefore should not be treated as decisive evidence.
He also pointed back to the Kyle Busch and John Hunter Nemechek incident, where NASCAR did not issue a penalty and referenced SMT data in Busch’s favor. Hamlin questioned the consistency of that approach, noting that if SMT is now being treated as reliable, it should not be selectively applied.
Dale Jr. also disagrees with Ryan Preece’s penalty
NASCAR veteran Dale Earnhardt Jr also weighed in on the situation through a video posted on his X handle, where he addressed the penalty issued to Ryan Preece and said he does not agree with NASCAR’s call.
As he put it, “I honestly don’t agree with this one. I really don’t. I think if you’re not going to penalize Kyle, which I didn’t think they would, I don’t think you can penalize Preece. If you watch the in car Preece, the 54 just drives across his nose and even though we know what Preece said over the radio and after the race he could argue in that moment that the 24 cut him off or ran down in front of him.”
“I mean there’s just whether that’s true or not doesn’t really matter I’m just really really surprised by this decision. This is a doozy, this is quite an interesting turn of events. I didn’t see this one coming,” he added.
While the appeal process involving RFK Racing and Ryan Preece remains pending, the situation continues to draw attention from drivers, media, and fans, many of whom have aligned with Preece as the debate over intent versus interpretation remains at the center.
