Denny Hamlin was surprised that NASCAR issued a $50,000 fine and 25-point penalty to Ryan Preece, and believes it should be overturned or reduced on appeal, but also concedes from experience that the deck will be stacked against them.
Preece was issued the penalty because the Sanctioning Body believed there was intent based on what the driver said over the radio, supplemented by SMT data, before the crash with Ty Gibbs at Texas Motor Speedway. Preece has said repeatedly that he simply did not cut Gibbs a break based on how they have raced each other previously.
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An appeal date has not yet been set.
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Hamlin, speaking on his Actions Detrimental podcast, says he echoed a sentiment also shared by Dale Earnhardt Jr. that NASCAR got it wrong with the decision.
“People think, ‘oh they have the appeals and stuff,’ and we did a podcast after ours a couple of years ago and it’s not a fair fight, guys,” Hamlin said. “It’s not broadcasted for a reason. Like, I think he has a legit shot of getting it overturned just based off of facts and evidence.
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“But I find it interesting that they’re now using SMT as a comp for evidence. When I brought it up and they said ‘oh, SMT is a very non-scientific way of looking at things (and) we don’t put a lot of faith in that’ and you can’t rebut anything when they start giving their side to this independent panel.
“There is no ‘I object, that’s not true.’ You can’t say that. You have to sit there and let them say whatever they want to say. The process is not a fair fight for the ones appealing.”
Hamlin also didn’t like NASCAR using the radio scanner audio as a reason to penalize Preece.
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“We say that shit all the time, we say ‘when I get back to him, he’s going to get it,” Hamlin said. “We say that all the time, right? I mean, I don’t say it often but drivers say it all the time. When Preece said ‘I’m done with him, what does that even mean?”
And then there was NASCAR not penalizing Kyle Busch’s last lap contact with John Hunter Nemechek, in which the SMT was used in Busch’s favor.
“I heard them in their explanation say, well, you know, after he got the damage, he was having to turn left to go straight according to the SMT,” Hamlin said. “It was SMT, so now SMT is a reliable source. They’ve changed their mind.”
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