It’s rare for the France family, who own and operate NASCAR, to face pushback from within the sport. However, when Jim France, NASCAR’s CEO, was reportedly preparing to fund a car for a Cup Series race, the move triggered significant backlash in the NASCAR garage. Many accused NASCAR of a blatant conflict of interest, as the entry was to be run by Spire Motorsports with IMSA driver Jack Aitken expected to drive.

Despite his own 23XI Racing team being in the midst of a lawsuit against NASCAR, Denny Hamlin did not hesitate to criticize the France family on his “Actions Detrimental” podcast. Hamlin made it clear he was strongly opposed to the prospect of NASCAR’s owners competing directly in the series they govern, drawing a parallel with Roger Penske’s situation in IndyCar.

Hamlin explained, “I think it was going to be a Hendrick-Spire collaboration. What I kind of understand is that, ‘Hey, we [Hendrick Motorsports] can’t do it, but they [Spire] can, and we have a relationship with them.’” He was cautious with his words due to the ongoing lawsuit, noting, “I really can’t speak on this because obviously the lawsuit and lawyers are very, very sensitive to this stuff right now, and anything you say will be used against you in the court of law.”

Still, Hamlin was clear about his stance: “I can tell you as a car owner, I fought very, very hard and opposed the fact that the France family could own charters. I think that’s just wildly conflict of interest, and we saw it come to a head in IndyCar, right?”

This is not the first time NASCAR has faced accusations of conflict of interest. In 2023, the France family partnered with Hendrick Motorsports and Chevrolet for a special entry in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with little notice given to rival manufacturers Toyota and Ford. For the Sonoma race, a similar approach was taken. Since Rick Hendrick already fields four cars (the maximum allowed), another direct entry was not possible. Jim France allegedly circumvented the rules by involving Spire Motorsports, which has an alliance with Hendrick and only fields three cars, leaving room for an additional entry.

This “unofficial” entry would have used a Hendrick engine, raising further concerns among other teams, especially considering the France family also owns the successful IMSA team Action Express.

Teams’ concerns are justified, especially in light of recent scandals in other series. Hamlin referenced the recent controversy in IndyCar, where Roger Penske, who owns both the series and a team, faced a major scandal after Team Penske was found guilty of making illegal modifications for the second consecutive year. Although Penske responded by firing top officials and imposing penalties, the incident damaged the series’ reputation—a fate NASCAR teams are keen to avoid.

Jeff Dickerson, co-owner of Spire Motorsports, described the arrangement with the France family as “unorthodox.” He insisted that the car was a Spire entry, staffed by Spire personnel, and that Jim France did not receive any special treatment. “I didn’t really even think it was that big of a deal. I didn’t even think it was that deep,” Dickerson said. He justified the France family’s involvement by suggesting that NASCAR wanted firsthand experience to better understand the financial challenges teams face.

While the backlash may have paused the France family’s plans for now, the possibility remains that they could attempt to enter another Cup Series race later in the year. With road courses like Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Roval still on the schedule—and no conflicts with Jack Aitken’s IMSA commitments—another attempt at a NASCAR-Spire collaboration is possible.