Daily Dose of Denny: NASCAR Fines Hamlin for Debris Comments

Does NASCAR want drivers to be less outspoken, despite what they said before the season started?

Earlier this week the NASCAR world found out that two drivers had been fined, at least one up to $50,000, for comments that were negative about the sanctioning body.

One of those drivers is reportedly Ryan Newman. The other is Denny Hamlin.

After Hamlin won the Heluva Good! Sour Cream Dips 400 at the Michigan International Speedway, he said this of the late race debris caution:

"I understand this is show business. We typically get [late-race cautions] every single week. I was thinking that if I didn't win the race because of a bad restart, I'd be angry because NASCAR changed the outcome.

"There is always debris that they could throw a legitimate caution for, but I think that sometimes they just kinda let it go when maybe things are getting mixed up, and other times, when things are spread out, let's tighten it back up. You don't have to be so smart to realize that these things are just by chance."

As we speak, several of the followers on the Team Denny Twitter page are sounding off on this fine; saying everything from NASCAR is ignoring the First Amendment, to hopes that Hamlin will remain outspoken, among other things.

Follower Lori Toney (who you can see on Twitter here) has suggested that we get 5,000 fans to donate $10 (though of course donations of ANY size are welcome!) to the Denny Hamlin Foundation. That way the amount of Denny's fine goes to a very, very worthy cause.

For more information on the Denny Hamlin Foundation and how YOU can donate, please click here.

Thanks to Yahoo! Sports, the Associated Press, and ESPN for the information used in this posting.