#11-Denny Hamlin met with the media Friday at Phoenix International Raceway:
Are you shifting here at Phoenix?
“I wish NASCAR would really come up with a ban on that. There is no reason why we should be shifting on a one-mile race track. This is a short track, not a road course. Make the gearing so we cannot shift because it’s just dumb for us to have the option to be able to shift. Everything that they’re trying to do with the whole gear rule and less horsepower, it throws that all out the window when you’re able to go out here and shift. It will be an option and people will try to do it. I’m sure late in the runs it will be effective, but it’s just with the gear taken out and the horsepower, we’re just lugging off these corners and you’re just flat footing it. As a driver, it’s tough to be able to race that way so we’re having to shift to try to get up off the corner. Hopefully looking forward we can change it to where you don’t have to do that.”
If other drivers shift, are you forced to shift?
“I think on restarts most everyone will shift when you’re all bottled up. I think people will be successful both ways, but it’s just that option. Come one, we’re on a short track, why are we shifting?”(Toyota Racing)(3-14-2015)
