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Monday morning, in the ashes of one of the most chaotic and questionable NASCAR Playoff races, came the latest episode of Denny Hamlin’s Actions Detrimental. However, one comment regarding the NASCAR playoffs has gripped the online NASCAR fanbase.
On this episode of Actions Detrimental, Hamlin, like most in the sport, spoke about not only last night’s controversy but the playoffs as a whole. One notable mention from Hamlin was of an interaction with Mike Forde of NASCAR Communications.
In 2014, NASCAR introduced its current playoff format, which fans refer to with many names, including bracket-style, elimination, or win and in. The system is hands down the most untraditional format used in motorsports worldwide and has garnered disdain from fans, legends, and drivers, both young and old, for its chaos.
“I talked to Mike Forde a little bit last night, NASCAR comms. I said, ‘Man, I mean, you got this format getting hammered on the net.’ and he’s like, ‘it’s it’s bots. It’s not real people.’ And so I said, okay, I mean, you can you can turn a blind eye if you want and you can be in denial. But numbers don’t lie, numbers never lie.” – Denny Hamlin, Actions Detrimental With Denny Hamlin, Nov. 4
Forde, via his X account, claimed that this was not how the conversation went, and that the fans complaining “have pulses.”
Still, this alleged conversation with an insider on the communications side of NASCAR shocked many fans online.
Thoughts that anyone with NASCAR would think that bots are involved in anyway is interesting. The outcry against the playoffs as a format has stretched out of the normal realm of fans and into the garage area.
These alleged comments also led to a trend of fans and creators, who are outspoken in their criticism of the format, clarifying online that they are not bots. Something that we are sure most did not plan on doing on Monday afternoon.
While many fans continue to bash the playoffs online, online creators such as S1apSh0es have created in-depth videos about the playoffs and their flaws. Hamlin even referenced S1apSh0es’ video, NASCAR and the Dam of Legitimacy in this episode.
As many haters as the format has, it does have a large group of fans who enjoy it. The week-to-week drama and in-race storylines add something beyond just racing. It appears as if the system has split fans in two. Those who like traditional racing, and those who grew up with the playoffs.
However, many drivers have focused on winning races rather than going for the championship. As Kevin Harvick once said, “These championships aren’t like winning like Petty and Earnhardt used to win them. You have to… put them together three weeks at a time.”
For now, these claims are just alleged, and Forde denies their total accuracy. But even the mention of bots has raised the broader questions that many fans have wondered about. What does NASCAR listen to, and what does NASCAR tune out?
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