Denny Hamlin expressed some dissatisfaction with the curved line and subpar picture quality at Kansas.
Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin (Via IMAGO) achieved a historic moment in NASCAR last Sunday when Hamlin narrowly defeated RFK Racing with a lead of 0.001 seconds. This is the closest finish in the sport’s history. The winner was determined after a review because the start-finish line was not straight, and NASCAR had to rely on the camera specifically set up for this purpose at the track.
The governing body shared the photo-finish image on their social media platforms, catching the attention of JGR’s . He voiced his displeasure with the image’s lack of quality through his podcast. In response, NASCAR’s spokesperson, , addressed the issue in a social media post.
He acknowledged that the NASCAR images did not possess the same level of quality as those from the Kentucky Derby due to factors like sunlight and humidity. The race took place at night after being postponed due to heavy rain in Kansas. Therefore, the nighttime conditions significantly affected the image quality. He also shared clearer images from past day races as a comparison.
Denny Hamlin’s comment here is noteworthy. He is not alone in his opinion. The photo’s quality is influenced by various factors, including sunlight (which explains the clearer Derby photo), humidity (it rained earlier), and the distance from the start-finish line (the camera is on the colder side of public relations). Here are two examples taken during daylight. Additionally, a more accurate term for the image is “image” rather than “photo” since it is composed of numerous frames.
Mike Forde wrote on X.
Denny Hamlin’s comment here is noteworthy. He is not alone in his opinion. The photo’s quality is influenced by various factors, including sunlight (which explains the clearer Derby photo), humidity (it rained earlier), and the distance from the start-finish line (the camera is on the colder side of public relations). Here are two examples taken during daylight. https://t.co/7jVw554qoO pic.twitter.com/NdDqPI3KVz
After the race, winner Kyle Larson also made a reference to the Kentucky Derby, which celebrated its 150th anniversary race during the same week. He humorously compared the three-horse photo-finish at the Derby to the Kansas finish, highlighting the closeness of his victory.
Kentucky Derby hold my beer pic.twitter.com/6ijrTpnmSD
The Kansas Cup weekend was a successful event for the sport, despite the decline in TV ratings due to the race’s postponement. The post-race discussions centered around aspects such as the curved finish line and the image quality, rather than criticism of the race itself. This indicates that it was an enjoyable race that NASCAR should strive to replicate in the future.