Thoughts on today's fine imposed on @dennyhamlin

I've never before written directly to NASCAR but today's action by NASCAR in fining Denny Hamlin for a few remarks he made at Phoenix finally has prompted me to do so.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME???!!!!!!!!  (Yes, go ahead and use the same tone & inflection that Trevor Bayne did.)

Denny's comments (and I listened to them live on the PressPass coverage at nascar.com) were totally innocuous. They were absolutely harmless. What did I glean from them? I understood him to say that as they are currently configured, the Gen-6 cars make passing difficult. Denny did NOT say he didn't like the car. Denny did NOT say he didn't support NASCAR's attempt to create a more fan-friendly race car. Denny did NOT say this about the new Gen-6 cars, “I said that I wanted to go out and win this race so I could tell everybody how terrible this thing is to drive. I can’t stand to drive them. They suck.” To the contrary his comments were to support the efforts put forth by his crew chief and pit crew in creating track position gains during pit stops by good calls and excellent execution. If anything, Denny's comments merely whetted my appetite to watch the evolution of the new car as teams tweak it to gain aero possibilities and opportunities for passing.

Denny's comments were almost 'throw away'. Comments merely made in passing. Were they creating a furor amongst journalists anxious to call NASCAR to task for yet another cookie-cutter car? No way! Would almost anyone have even recalled them this week but for this imposed fine on 'Denny Downer'? Nope!

Well, you've made your call NASCAR. You can't fine me. I'll call it what it was - a really misguided MISTAKE!! Congratulations, you've created a mountain from a barely discernible molehill.

I hope Denny does decide not to pay the fine because then this behind-the-scenes, 'We pretend to be a real sport, but in reality we can do whatever the heck we feel like doing and we're no better than professional wrestling!' charade that it seems NASCAR is becoming will be revealed for all to see.

Prove yourselves more than a gaggle of puffed up sycophants and admit the error of this sanction. Or, if you feel you must save face, at least grant whatever appeal Denny makes and turn this into a no-call.

Failing that perhaps you should sue that fence that gave way, or the tire that sailed over it at Daytona for behavior detrimental to NASCAR's image. Makes as much sense.

Sheesh guys! Get your act together. Go litigate something that needs it. A driver's genuine, non-derogatory comments do NOT!!!!!