Ryan: NASCAR should try to keep its star drivers happy

• Denny Hamlin%27s brief war with NASCAR seems to have ended Thursday
• There are ominous signs of cognitive dissonance between the NASCAR leadership and its superstars
• This hasn%27t been a stellar start for NASCAR%27s crisis management department

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Denny Hamlin never got his day in court. But the manner in which his brief war with NASCAR ended might as well have unfolded in a high-profile trial of banging gavels and arguing attorneys that was made for Hollywood.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver essentially pleaded guilty while staunchly professing his innocence in a statement on Twitter. He announced he wouldn't appeal a $25,000 fine (as he initially said he would) for allegedly disparaging stock car racing's great horsepower hype but also wouldn't pay it (the pound of flesh will be extracted via garnishment of race winnings).

In the legal system, this is known as the Alford plea. In NASCAR, it's known as Thursday.

A series linked for years with mixed messages ("Yes, this Nicorette-branded car is competing on a series that last year was sponsored by R.J. Reynolds. Why do you ask?") has been breeding them with regularity this season.

Have you seen our officially endorsed Daytona 500 car supporting the victims of the Newtown, Conn., shooting tragedy? Great, then you'll be inspired to see our cars race in the NRA 500.

We don't let our drivers say anything that could be construed as impugning the integrity of our sport! But if you want to call the racing at Talladega Superspeedway "bloodthirsty" or use a deadpan comedy routine to intimate fans should stay home if they want to see crashes, we're good with that.

Which brings us to Hamlin, whose penchant for truth-telling has turned him into a persistent whipping boy for the sanctioning body since its secret fine era of 2010-11. After Phoenix, he dared to float the idea that the new car — gasp! — was more difficult to pass with, a statement borne out by NASCAR's loop data.

It barely caused a stir and wouldn't have been a story if NASCAR hadn't made it one. The reverberations were much stronger when Hamlin's current teammate, Kyle Busch, proclaimed the debut of the last iteration of Cup car "sucks" after winning its Bristol debut six years ago.

Busch, by the way, wasn't penalized. We mentioned that mixed messages thing, right?

There are no winners in this mess. There is a big lesson.

After spending much of the past year trumpeting the concept that the industry has engaged in its most collaborative effort in years — the sleek and ballyhooed Gen 6 was birthed by tireless cooperation among drivers, manufacturers and race officials — there are ominous signs of cognitive dissonance between the sport's leadership and the superstars who carry its banner to a country that has seemed less interested the past few years.

Why didn't NASCAR brass already have a closer relationship with Brad Keselowski before the defending series champion was called to the principal's office following his candid comments about the challenges facing the sport in a USA TODAY Sports interview before Daytona?

Why didn't the sanctioning body discuss the penalty with Hamlin before taking the punitive action last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway?

This is the mixed message that could hurt NASCAR most of all — encouraging its drivers to speak their minds while also scolding them behind closed doors. Or even worse, making little attempt to understand them.

Much of the Industry Action Plan — NASCAR code for the five-year blueprint to rebuild its fan base by appealing to younger and more diverse demographics — is predicated on a "driver starpower" initiative, i.e. using its well-coiffed and affable spokesmen to promote its product.

Though this hasn't been a stellar start for NASCAR's crisis management department, the firestorms probably haven't hurt that much. Quite the contrary, they've kept NASCAR in the headlines every week.

That's partially a testament to its drivers, whose eloquence, flair and grace go beyond Hamlin and Keselowski. Witness Tony Stewart's command performance after a Nationwide victory at Daytona, tactfully putting it into perspective after Kyle Larson's car sailed into the catchfence and left at least 28 fans injured. Dale Earnhardt Jr. played big-picture after a runner-up finish at Daytona, choosing to focus on the historic day of Danica Patrick and the positives of eventful Speedweeks.

It seems absurdly obvious to note this, but NASCAR would do well not to penalize drivers such as Hamlin for speaking their minds — particularly when it's a transgression that is debatably minor.

Keep the stars happy, and the sport could sail back toward prosperity.

Remain on the road of turning its PR department into Pravda, and NASCAR will find its popularity on trial.

That's a case it might not win.

Follow Nate Ryan on Twitter @nateryan