Did Denny Hamlin Get the Shaft? (And not the Drive Shaft)

The more I think about it and the more I keep hearing about Denny Hamlin's fine for disparaging the sport of NASCAR, the more I feel he's getting the shaft, just because he referenced the old car versus the new car.

I don't think that anything Hamlin said when comparing the development phase of the new (Gen six) cars versus the COT cars of the last few years, or as they've been rebranded as by NASCAR, the Gen Five cars.

Many folks seemed pretty down on the COT cars over the last few years but it seemed that it was coming along pretty nicely.  The last few years provided consistently exciting finishes with this car, and I'm not talking about the G-W-C finishes.  And so far, not so much with the new car.

But when NASCAR does something like come down so hard on Denny Hamlin for making nothing more than a comparative statement about this to last years' car, I have to start wondering how sensitive NASCAR is about the image of the COT.  And are they that worried about any associations between the G-5 and G-6 cars?

At least to me, this heavy-duty fine levied at Hamlin seems to possibly drive that very point home.  Or, to be more accurate, this perceived or guessed at point.

Denny called it as he saw it, and he called it "The Truth," and he's bothered by the issue that he can't speak the honest truth on a matter.  And he did.  Passing is an issue and there was a lot of single file racing.

I'm still confused that NASCAR, who will "draw the line" at negative commentary on the new car, thinks that Denny's comparison was some evil, off-handed remark...  Now had he said, "This car sucks," well, there ya go, that I'd understand.  But not this.

Right now, Denny has filed an appeal with NASCAR on the fine.  I hope some light can come of this.

In the meantime, fans will be left in the dark about how drivers really feel because they aren't allowed to speak their minds on some issues. This is nothing new in professional sports, but it's disappointing to know that what we get in a post-race interview is a carefully worded reply that will echo the same thing each and every weekend.

Is that what we really want?