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Junior Sets the Record Straight, Hamlin Demands Accountability, Larson Praises NASCAR’s Initiative, and More

Junior Sets the Record Straight, Hamlin Demands Accountability, Larson Praises NASCAR’s Initiative, and More

Gowtham Ramalingam
December 20, 2025

Welcome to Hoot in the Oval — your all-access pass to everything NASCAR. From Denny’s clutch finishes to Ross’ wild moves, Chase Elliott fandom to Bubba’s bold takes—we’ve got the stories that fuel the track and the timeline. Fast, loud, unfiltered. Buckle up, y’all. 🏁

The latest edition of our newsletter covers:

Dale Jr.’s North Wilkesboro Speedway revival and NASCAR’s non-involvement in the same
Why Denny Hamlin is irked with NASCAR media post the charter lawsuit
Joey Logano is paying no heed to NASCAR’s future switch in playoff format
Kyle Larson appreciating the good in NASCAR’s arsenal — the Driver Ambassador Program (DAP)

🏁 Inside the Oval

Dale Earnhardt Jr. Clears the Air on Who Really Saved North Wilkesboro

NASCAR drivers and fans were thrilled when the North Wilkesboro Speedway was brought back into the Cup Series schedule in 2023. Most of the credit for it was given to Dale Earnhardt Jr., who played a significant role in reviving the historic venue from the sorry state that it was in.

Rumors have recently surfaced that NASCAR is working with urgency to reclaim the track. Apparently, the sanctioning body wanted to move first in case Dale Jr. wanted to bring a dirt racing series there. Junior touched upon this in a recent episode of Dale Jr. Download.

“I don’t know everything about how they run things, and I certainly didn’t know how they felt about some things, and how these text messages have unveiled some things. But I’ll tell you what I do know. North Wilkesboro came back because of Marcus Smith… NASCAR, you know, they didn’t play any role,” said Junior.

Despite its condition, North Wilkesboro had not withered into nothingness. It still hosted Late Model races sporadically, and fans loved visiting it. Junior, recognizing the potential, had approached Marcus Smith, who is the CEO of Speedway Motorsports Inc., to request access to scan the track for iRacing.

The track soon became popular on iRacing, which led to fans demanding it come back in real life as well. Smith approved a CARS Tour event there in 2022, and the success of the race convinced NASCAR to hold a national-level race there.

Throughout this process, according to Junior, NASCAR did nothing but agree to hold the All-Star Race. “NASCAR never was going, ‘Guys, we gotta get Wilkesboro going,” he said.

Junior credited the track’s revival to the town of North Wilkesboro, the state and local governments, and the volunteers who spent decades maintaining the property. NASCAR sure will not be happy about Dale Jr’s revelation on its lack of involvement in the track’s return to prominence.

🏁 Inside the Oval

Joey Logano Isn’t Sweating on NASCAR’s Next Format Change

Now that the antitrust lawsuit with 23XI Racing and FRM is over, NASCAR has shifted attention to the playoff format change it promised fans in 2024. The announcement that was expected to come right after the 2025 season could arrive any day.

The one person whom the majority expects to dread the changes is Joey Logano. But the three-time champion seems unfazed.

The demand for a playoff format change intensified after Logano’s third championship victory in 2024. Since then, fans have been asking, or rather suggesting, different formats. Some want to return to the traditional season-long points system, while others suggested a hybrid system, where both regular and postseason winners are decided only on points.

Speculations have also come that NASCAR might opt for a final round of races, instead of a single race, to decide who the champion will be.

Logano isn’t worried by the uncertainty and is instead focused on adapting to whatever format might come his way. “I guess I liked where it was. But I’m going to like where we go. Like, I’m okay with whatever they do, but that’s still going to be the rules. And then we got to go figure out how to win,” he said.

This has been Logano’s approach to racing for years. He doesn’t see the point in debating which format is better as a driver. He just wants to adapt and win.

“It’s not my job to complain about what we have or what we’re going to have. My job is to say, ‘Okay, these are the rules. Okay, let’s figure out the strategy to win this thing.’ Like, how do we do that? I don’t really care what it is. Just tell me what it is. So then we can focus on doing that,” added Logano, who understands that every competitor of his will be at the same starting point as he is under a new format. That makes it Logano’s responsibility to figure out a way to race better than them all.

🗣️ Pit Politics

Denny Hamlin Isn’t Letting NASCAR Media Off the Hook

Denny Hamlin came out with the longer end of the stick at the conclusion of the antitrust lawsuit with NASCAR. As the co-owner of 23XI Racing, he got NASCAR to agree to settle with terms that were highly in favor of the teams and their demand for permanent charters.

However, despite the victory, Hamlin isn’t willing to let go of the manner in which the media covered the entire ordeal. He believes that a huge amount of propaganda was pushed to portray 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports negatively to the public.

During the trial phase, Hamlin had openly criticized an ESPN article for the distortion of the narrative. And now, he has shifted his wrath to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and how the platform covered the initial stages of the lawsuit.

“Good morning. Now that the case is settled and the evidence is out, will you or anyone on channel 90 be issuing an apology for what you all said about 23XI/FRM when the lawsuit was filed?” asked Hamlin on X after the trial settlement.

Hamlin's question attracted a flurry of responses from fans, among whom was one who wanted to know the basis on which he was demanding an apology.

The fan’s stand was that talk show hosts are entitled to their opinions, whether or not they align with public sentiment. In response, Hamlin explained his position and reasoned that his criticism was of the Channel 90’s host and former crew chief, Larry McReynolds. He pointed out that one has to take accountability when new information proves earlier conclusions as false.

Hamlin acknowledged McReynolds’ strong work ethic, but hoped that he had reviewed all the facts after the settlement concluded and recalibrated his stance. The conversation then shifted to PRN Live’s Brad Gillie, who wanted Hamlin to leave things behind for the betterment of the sport and move on to the next day.

The veteran wrote back, “Animosity ends with accountability.” He further went on to recall what had exactly been said about 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports on the channel. SiriusXM and McReynolds have yet to respond to Hamlin.

🏁 Trackside Trivia

NASCAR has never raced on Christmas Day, but has come close

There has not been a NASCAR-sanctioned race either on Christmas Day or Eve in the sport’s history, as per records, with the offseason firmly devoted by the industry to relaxation and gearing up for next year.
However, NASCAR has raced in December in the past, on eight occasions. It came closest to racing on Christmas on December 29, 1963, at Savannah Speedway.
Richard Petty claimed victory that day, leading 133 laps.

🎙️ Hoot’s Radio Chatter

Kyle Larson Applauds NASCAR’s Driver Ambassador Program

NASCAR came up with the Driver Ambassador Program this year to motivate drivers to invest their time and energy into promoting the sport outside the race track. The program rewards them monetarily for charitable efforts, community outreach, and public appearances.

The program rewards drivers for the time they spend on promotional activities that are outside their standard media duties. They earn points for interviews and fan engagements on and off the track. The driver with the most points at the end of the season claims the largest share of the Driver Ambassador Program fund, while others receive a share that is proportional to their points.

In its first year, Joey Logano emerged as the top earner and collected a reward of $1 million for his work.

Others, like Kyle Larson, have embraced the program for the opportunity that it has provided them to reach beyond the sport and increase their popularity. Many drivers have lauded the initiative, which aligns personal interests with the sport’s interests.

“I would say NASCAR's new DAP program that you mentioned was really cool this year. It got us all out doing way more things than we ever would have. Because we actually felt like we were making an impact on the sport,” said Larson, who acknowledged that while the long-term benefits of the program may take time to show, the first year has been a great success.

Apart from Larson, Logano, and Trackhouse Racing’s Ross Chastain have showcased a lot of support for the program. Logano applauded NASCAR for creating a system through which drivers can do more good than they could by themselves.

🏁 Lap Back in Time: NASCAR Stat of the Year
(One stat. One year. Every edition.)

1962: The 1962 Daytona 500 was one of the few Daytona 500s run entirely without a caution flag — Fireball Roberts led 144 of the 200 laps and the race went green flag to checkered with no cautions at all. Roberts won by 27 seconds over Richard Petty and finished the race with an average speed of 152.529 mph.