Denny Hamlin rolled into Bristol riding high after his clutch win at Gateway that secured his spot in the Round of 12. Lining up 6th for the Bass Pro Shops Night Race, he kept his No. 11 Toyota consistently in the mix, running top-10 laps and scoring a respectable 10th-place finish in Stage 2. For most of the night, Hamlin looked calm, collected, and poised to cruise to a solid result. But Bristol has a way of turning smooth nights into heartbreak.

Hamlin had pitted on lap 367 and restarted with new tires on lap 373. But on lap 384, disaster struck when Hamlin’s right-front wheel detached in Turn 4, sending him hard into AJ Allmendinger’s car. Obviously, in NASCAR’s eyes, a loose wheel is no minor slip-up. It’s a top-tier safety violation because crews are expected to torque everything perfectly; if it breaks loose, penalties follow fast. So, the result? A two-lap penalty for Hamlin. However, his crew chief, Chris Gayle, suggested that the crash caused the wheel to dislodge, not the other way round. So, the penalty seemed unexpected, yet he admitted that “nobody (from NASCAR) wants to hear that right now.”

This safety violation falls under Section 8.8.10.4.C in the NASCAR Rule Book (Tires and Wheels). It refers to the “loss or separation of an improperly installed tire/wheel from the vehicle during the event.” The incident triggered another caution, the 13th of the night, and even caught William Byron in the chaos. It left Hamlin’s car with terminal damage and forced him to the garage, ultimately leaving him with a disappointing 31st-place finish. Speaking to Wendy Venturini after the race, Denny Hamlin summed up the NASCAR Bristol situation:

“It’s a different race than what we planned on. It didn’t work with our setup. We didn’t have anything go our way, truthfully. Certainly a night to forget.” While the result doesn’t threaten his playoff position thanks to his Gateway win, it was far from the momentum-builder he expected heading into the Round of 12. But such incidents are not new.

Back in May, the No. 66 garage experienced something similar. Their 66 Ford, which had Josh Bilicki behind the wheel, lost its right-rear wheel in Turn 4 under caution at Lap 49 at Coca-Cola 600. Both rear-tire changer Brehanna Daniels and jackman Ethan Hindman were suspended from the next two Cup Series races.

But here is what makes Hamlin’s case different than any other similar incident from the past. The NASCAR charter drama is hitting another gear. Denny Hamlin and the 23XI Racing group have officially filed for summary judgment in their antitrust suit against NASCAR, and to many fans, the courtroom fight seems to be spilling onto the racetrack.

Fans wasted no time flooding social media with hot takes, sparking a heated debate. Some rushed to defend Hamlin, pointing to the freak nature of the wheel failure, while others blasted NASCAR.

NASCAR: Fans are divided about Denny Hamlin’s incident

“NASCAR not wanting to hear anything to do with @dennyhamlin?! Shocker,” one fan wrote, echoing a widespread sentiment that the organization’s disciplinary decisions against the team are influenced by Hamlin’s ongoing lawsuit against NASCAR. Hamlin and Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing remain at the heart of a complex federal antitrust case that could redefine the sport’s charter system.

Some fans argued that “NASCAR is giving 23XI new things to use against them” as the December trial approaches. The lawsuit has turned ugly in recent times as both parties have used every means possible to gain the upper hand. For instance, NASCAR publicly leaked Michael Jordan & Denny Hamlin’s explicit texts.

Others point to what they perceive as NASCAR’s hypocrisy, mocking them with statements like “bUt We ArE nOt A mOnOpOlY” while noting its powerful grip on race operations, charter control, and everything NASCAR. Furthermore, accusations of bias and punitive action were also seen online. “They don’t care. Any chance to f— Denny for suing them. Gestapo NASCAR in action.”

Lastly, Hamlin’s crew chief, Chris Gayle, has also become part of the conversation. “Gayle doesn’t want a couple weeks off while Gabehart comes in?” joked a fan, referencing NASCAR’s rule of suspending crew members for detached wheels. The No. 11 crew might expect a couple of suspensions coming in as NASCAR’s penalty report is due later this week. But it is too soon to speculate about suspensions.

Regardless, the reaction from the NASCAR world shows just how much the lawsuit is coloring public perception. The court case and the on-track calls seem to be bleeding into one another, at least in the eyes of fans, creating a tense backdrop as the playoffs heat up. What do you think?