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Denny Hamlin Doesn't Hold Back On Amazon Prime's NASCAR Announcers

Originally posted on The Spun | By Andrew Gould | Last updated May 27, 2025 12:13 PM ET

NASCAR made its Amazon Prime Video debut last Sunday. Denny Hamlin joined observers who liked the new media partner's first crack at Cup Series coverage.

Obviously, Hamlin wasn't watching Prime Video's live stream of the Coca-Cola 600. The Joe Gibbs Racing driver spent most of the race near the lead but finished 16th at Charlotte Motor Speedway after needing to refuel on a late pit stop.

When recording his Actions Detrimentals podcast on Monday afternoon, Hamlin had yet to watch the replay of Amazon's broadcast. However, he noted the overwhelmingly positive response on social media and commended the studio commentary.

"I did get to watch the post-race show," Hamlin said. "Thought that was fantastic. Their on-air talent is super smart with their analysis. They hired all the right people."

Hamlin called Adam Alexander "a great play-by-play guy" and Steve Letarte an "elite" analyst." He defended the crew chief from critics who say Letarte talks too much.

"He's very knowledgeable," Hamlin said of Letarte. "He breaks things down to me in a very simple way. I'm excited to go back and see how they presented the race."

Despite starting from the last starting position, Ross Chastain passed William Byron with six laps remaining to win the Coca-Cola 600. Byron, who led for 283 laps, spoke on Prime Video's post-game show after the gutting outcome.

"I saw Byron had to go up there and do that," Hamlin said. "But yeah, you're going to get the rawest emotions in that moment."

Prime Video will stream the next four Cup Series races. Grouping the races together gives fans the option to watch them all on a free 30-day trial.

However, that doesn't ensure a smooth transition for NASCAR fans. Hamlin doesn't know if his mother would have figured out how to access the race on Prime without his help.

Those who navigated the new platform seemed to enjoy the Prime Video presentation. Amazon's NASCAR coverage will continue with this Sunday's race at Nashville Superspeedway.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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