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Denny Hamlin Calls Out Jim France Over Charters

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 14: Denny Hamlin speaks to the Media during the NASCAR Cup Series 66th Annual Daytona 500 Media Day at Daytona International Speedway on February 14, 2024 in Daytona Beach, Florida. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)

Joshua Lipowski

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Royal T Grafix

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What’s Happening?

Denny Hamlin is known for his outspoken nature, and he called out Jim France in a recent interview with Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal. Hamlin said that the future of 23XI buying a charter is up to whether or not Jim France chooses to “Invest in the teams”, saying, “If not, we’ll continue to cut, cut, cut like we’ve been doing. Content will suffer. Getting people [to work in NASCAR] will be harder and harder, and this sport will stay with its feet stuck in the mud.” What does this actually mean, and what does it say about the charter agreement?

  • Denny Hamlin has been one of the most outspoken individuals throughout the charter negotiations between NASCAR and the teams. The teams continue to want more money from NASCAR under the next charter deal, but, NASCAR and the teams are still far off about how much more money.
  • Hamlin is a team owner, so, his thoughts on this matter are very interesting. However, these thoughts on cutting things are also strange given the massive investment he has just made in 23XI Racing’s new headquarters.
  • Fans are hoping to see race teams like 23XI Racing expand soon. However, it seems that expansion is on hold until we know what the charter agreement will look like.

What Is Hamlin Saying?

The charter market in NASCAR is a very interesting one. It was recently rumored that two Tier One teams were looking to expand, i.e. buy a charter. However, many quickly pointed out that the current charter deal runs out at the end of 2024.

Tier 1 NASCAR Teams Want to Expand, But What Does It Cost?

That seems to have deterred at least Denny Hamlin for now. It’s tough to know exactly what a charter’s value is if it expires at the end of the current season.

Hamlin has been one of the most outspoken voices throughout the charter negotiations. For all of his comments on charters, check out the article below. However, his comments go deeper than that.

Update: Everything You Need to Know About the NASCAR Charter Negotiations

He talks about cutting things, having a hard time hiring people, content being cut, and the sport not moving forward. The idea of NASCAR teams barely scraping by and having to make tough decisions is not an opinion solely held by Denny Hamlin.

Jeff Gordon opened up about the current economic state of NASCAR during a recent appearance on the “Dale Jr Download”. Most notably, he claimed that Hendrick Motorsports has not made a profit in 10 years, and he claimed, “A lot of teams are struggling.”

Jeff Gordon Says NASCAR Teams Are “Struggling”

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that less profit means that a business needs to find a way to save money. Restructuring or cutting things out is a part of business, and it often comes to save costs. However, Hamlin’s comments where he cries poor comes at a very interesting time for him.

Hamlin Crying Poor

23XI Racing is opening up “Airspeed”, which will be the team’s new racing headquarters. This project was estimated at $9-16 million by the Charlotte Business Journal back in 2021.

Yet, here is Hamlin publicly talking about cutting things out and struggling to hire people, and alluding to costs while doing so. Obviously, we don’t know what the checkbooks of 23XI Racing look like and a charter is likely to be as much as 4 times the cost it was to build these headquarters, but, it’s strange timing for sure.

When Gordon talked about race teams struggling, he specifically talked about Hendrick Motorsports. He mentioned that even they have not made a profit in 10 years.

Compare that to Hamlin, who makes this comment while building a massive $multi-million facility. It’s certainly a strange look.

It doesn’t mean that Hamlin is wrong in his comments because not every race team has the resources 23XI Racing does. However, it makes it tougher to convince NASCAR that 23XI Racing is struggling.

Denny Hamlin’s comments add to an already common narrative, but, they come from a rather odd place. Either way, the charter negotiations continue to see NASCAR and the race teams seemingly far apart.

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Cleetus McFarland Explains The One Catch to His NASCAR O’Reilly Series Schedule

by Kauy Ostlien

What’s Happening?

Garrett Mitchell, better known by his online persona Cleetus McFarland, says his 2026 NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series schedule isn’t set in stone, something the YouTube star explained to Dale Earnhardt Jr on the latest episode of The Dale Jr Download.

One of the biggest surprises in recent NASCAR news is that YouTube star Cleetus McFarland, whose real name is Garrett Mitchell, will make his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut next month at Rockingham Speedway.

Mitchell, who has just won a NASCAR National Series start to his name, will make this start with Richard Childress Racing in their No. 33 car as part of a part-time development contract that will see him make starts in 2026 and 2027.

Per Mitchell, his contract will cover three races per season, though he hinted it could be more in a Facebook post. Nonetheless, fans are eagerly awaiting an official schedule of what other tracks Mitchell and RCR will tackle in 2026.

Unfortunately, fans will have to wait a little longer for this schedule, as the 30-year-old Floridian explained during a recent interview with Dale Earnhardt Jr, his 2026 schedule is still up in the air a month ahead of his first race.

During an interview on the latest episode of the Dale Jr Download, Mitchell told Earnhardt that while he plans to race the superspeedways after Rockingham, with his sights set on Talladega’s April 25 or October 24 race weekend, the decision lies in the hands of NASCAR.

“NASCAR said I cannot run Talladega unless I go to Rockingham first and do well,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell then clarified that while he will have a rookie test for Rockingham, the race at Rockingham will determine his eligibility to race at Talladega.

Stirring the Pot

Mitchell, who has two ARCA starts at Daytona and one at Talladega, has already taken a rookie test this season at Rockingham for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Despite a minor crash during this test, Mitchell was cleared to race in the season-opening race at Daytona, crashing himself in a single truck spin five laps into the race, after a valiant qualifying effort.

Even with the barrier of Rockingham in the way, fans are already somewhat concerned about McFarland’s skills, given the result of his short time behind the wheel of a truck.

During this episode of The DJD, Mitchell expressed his intentions to work his way up the ladder and learn, but with the caveat that if an opportunity presents itself to him, he will take it, using the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR Cup Series as a metaphorical example.

“I don’t want to drive a Cup car right now. But, brother, if someone calls me and says, ‘We got a spot in a Cup car in the Daytona 500?’ I mean, what am I supposed to do?” — Cleetus McFarland

Despite his doubters, with the support of RCR and their developmental tools, Mitchell seems confident about the opportunity, already getting in some sim time with RCR.

Either way, no matter how much support he has in his corner, Mitchell is diving in headfirst once again with this opportunity.

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Cleetus McFarland’s First NASCAR Diecast is Officially Available for Pre-Order

by Kauy Ostlien

What’s Happening?

Lionel has officially opened pre-orders for Garrett Mitchell’s (better known as Cleetus McFarland) first-ever NASCAR diecast.

  • This announcement comes as part of his upcoming debut in NASCAR’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series next month. While the sponsor, Tommy’s Express Car Wash, and car number, No. 33, are known, there has yet to be an official render of his paint scheme released to the public.
  • Lionel Racing is offering two diecast options for Mitchell: the first option is the 1:64 scale diecast at $11.75, and the second is a 1:24 scale diecast at $70.00. As of press time, it appears the car will not receive any other options, such as Special Finishes like Color Chrome or Galaxy Colored.
  • Mitchell announced his first NASCAR OAP Series race on Wednesday afternoon, signing a two-year, three-race-per-year deal with RCR. This is a major step for the YouTube star turned NASCAR driver, who made his ARCA debut last season.
  • Due to his popularity both in and out of NASCAR, Mitchell’s diecast may be one of the most anticipated in recent memory. Many race fans are already giving bold predictions for the large order quantity this car will receive by the time it reaches production.

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BRISTOL, TENNESSEE - SEPTEMBER 11: Garrett Mitchell, also known as Cleetus McFarland, driver of the #30 Kenetik Ford waits on the grid prior to the ARCA Menards Series Bush's Beans 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on September 11, 2025 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)

UPDATE: Cleetus McFarland Will Race in the NASCAR O’Reilly Series This Year

by Kauy Ostlien

What’s Happening?

YouTube star-turned-NASCAR driver Garrett Mitchell, best known by his online persona Cleetus McFarland, has signed a part-time deal to race with Richard Childress Racing in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for the next two seasons.

UPDATE 3:00 PM EST: Per RCR Mitchell will make his debut at Rockingham Speedway on April 4.

  • Mitchell announced his signing with RCR in a Wednesday afternoon post on his Facebook. The 30-year-old says that RCR reached out, offering to make him “a better driver and give you an opportunity to grow in this sport.”
  • The Floridaian will drive the team’s part-time No. 33 on a part-time basis over the next two seasons. Mitchell claims in his post that the deal is three races a year, but hints it could be more, saying “3 races a year right now.”
  • Mitchell, who made his NASCAR debut last season with a four-race schedule in the ARCA Menards Series, has brought a legion of fans to NASCAR in his few starts. So far, Mitchell has made five career starts in the ARCA Menards Series and one in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
  • That start in the Truck Series, at Daytona earlier this season, was a spark of controversy, as, after crashing in his test for approval, Mitchell crashed himself early on in the race. While he has his supporters, including many in the garage area, this move up the NASCAR ladder will likely see some pushback from fans across the board.
  • As of press time, Mitchell has yet to announce his first race of this part-time schedule with RCR.

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