Denny Hamlin hits back at NASCAR lawyer following fresh lawsuit

On Wednesday, NASCAR filed a counter-suit against 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, which didn't exactly get a positive reaction from the teams or the general public. This move caused numerous reactions and comments, among which stand out the attitude of Denny Hamlin, owner of the 23XI Racing team and driver of Joe Gibbs Racing. Hamlin was not at all satisfied with this outcome and made it clear that the situation was far from what he expected.

Before Hamlin responded on Wednesday, attorney Chris Yates, who represents NASCAR as a partner at Lathan & Watkins, was asked about the demands made by the two teams. Yates explained that the teams actually receive 49% of the media revenue under the charter agreement, but it's still unclear exactly what 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports want.

Denny Hamlin reacts

Denny responded to an extended response Claire B. Lang shared on her X/Twitter profile, and he had a clear message for everyone following the situation.

"You should have a fact-checker in the room all the time," Hamlin responded.. 

This answer was quite direct and sharp, which further fueled the interest of the media and fans who followed the whole situation. Hamlin, who is known for not being afraid to speak his mind, didn't want to leave any room for misunderstandings about what was said by NASCAR's legal team.

According to the lawsuit, the teams asked NASCAR for several key things. First, they demanded an annual payment of $720 million to the teams, as well as 33% of all new revenue streams that include team rights. Also, they wanted a 33% increase in media revenue. In addition, the teams sought permanent charters, a change-of-control provision, and additional approvals for issues such as race schedules and electrification.

Additionally, the teams demanded that NASCAR pay at least 42.7% of all media revenue over the term of the 2025 charter agreement. They also wanted clauses that would prevent NASCAR from negotiating different contract terms with new teams, thereby protecting themselves from competition.