LONG POND, Pa. -- After Ryan Newman acknowledged Friday he was one of two drivers NASCAR fined for making critical comments about the Cup Series, Denny Hamlin admitted he was the second driver recently penalized.

Hamlin went on to say that he understood and knew why NASCAR reacted the way it did. After The Associated Press reported that at least one of them was fined as much as $50,000, Newman said the fines were now "behind" both drivers.

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We owe it to ourselves to make sure that things stay positive and upbeat. I think the racing this year has been awesome. I don't think you could ask for better racing than what we've been having. The green-white-checkered, the double-file restarts and everything [NASCAR] has done to make the racing what it is, is awesome.

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-- CLINT BOWYER

Hamlin was joined by several others at Pocono Raceway in discussing the impact of their individual comments and how they affect the sport. Most were in agreement that statements negatively reflecting the integrity of NASCAR were best left unsaid or only to be expressed in private.

From the back of his hauler Friday, Hamlin said that "just maybe" he could be too opinionated at times and that he wants nothing more than to have a healthy sport to participate in 15 to 20 years from now -- something he said he discussed with both Joe and J.D. Gibbs during a recent meeting.

"Of course [J.D. and Joe Gibbs] don't agree with [the fine] ... they're going to stick up for their driver," Hamlin said. "Within a few days of telling me what was going to happen, we were all sitting down in one room together and talking about what we can do to make the sport better."

Does that mean the sport will lose the outspoken Hamlin?

"It's tough to say. I don't want to lose any more money but I just want to be myself," Hamlin said. "That's all I can say and that's what I've told them over and over. I said, 'What if I don't agree with something? What do you want me to say? Do you want me to lie and tell something I don't truly believe in because I've never been brought up to do that?'"

Hamlin went on to explain that both J.D and Joe Gibbs didn't want the driver to lie or be muzzled, but did want him to find a better way to express his thoughts.

"I think you will see [opinions expressed], but it'll be a more toned-down fashion," Hamlin said.

Hamlin said that at NASCAR's preseason meeting in January, series officials expressed their plans to be more aggressive in addressing negative comments from drivers during the 2010 season.

NASCAR acknowledged that media clips of negative comments by drivers in the past were shown during the meeting as examples of what wouldn't be tolerated in the future. And now that NASCAR has made good on its promise to follow up on critical comments, Hamlin refused to confirm the amount he was fined, but said it was enough to make him think twice about making any disparaging comments about the sport moving forward.

"It was big enough that's for sure, if I'm in the heat of the moment I will pull the reins back because it costs a lot to be a race car driver whether people know it or not," Hamlin said. "We do get paid well, but it's an expensive sport to be a part of."

Per its rule book, fine money assessed by NASCAR goes to the NASCAR Foundation.

"I'm happy my money is going to charity, to be honest with you," Hamlin said. "That's money that's going to the NASCAR Foundation and it's going to go to several different children's charities that I support through my foundation.

"So, one way or another it was going to go there anyway. I'm not too upset about that. It is a wakeup call to me that we all have to be in this together."

Clint Bowyer joined Hamlin in sharing the same sentiment.

"We owe it to ourselves to make sure that things stay positive and upbeat," Bowyer said. "I think the racing this year has been awesome. I don't think you could ask for better racing than what we've been having. The green-white-checkered, the double-file restarts and everything [NASCAR] has done to make the racing what it is, is awesome."

In vintage Tony Stewart fashion, the driver didn't waste an opportunity to remind the media of their own role in portraying the sport in a negative light and reminded everyone that NASCAR has come a long way and has much to be celebrated.

"Honestly, I don't know what's right and what's wrong on this topic," Stewart said. "What everyone has to remember is that NASCAR's done a good job of building this sport over 60 years, and between everyone in this room [media center] and in the garage we all have done our part to try to break this sport down over the past four to five years. We're all to blame.

"As drivers, we're just as much to blame as anybody else. At the same time, I'm going to blame you guys [the media] and you guys have to take some of the responsibility for it. When you finally tell someone that racing is bad enough, long enough, you're going to convince people that it really is. The result of that is not having as many people in the grandstands because of that."

Stewart then closed, saying that everyone surrounding the sport of racing has gotten spoiled over the past 10-15 years and that perhaps, people have lost sight of what the sport has to offer.

"It may not always be perfect, but every time we write something bad about it, or talk about it from our [drivers'] standpoint, all we do is break this sport down and it doesn't deserve that."

Kevin Harvick added that it was everyone's responsibility to make sure the sport continues to move in the right direction and that there was a proper place and time to vent frustration as a driver.

"If you've got something to say, it's very easy to pick up the phone or walk over to the [NASCAR office] trailer and go express your feelings to somebody," Harvick said. "And it's just not the right place to do it through this room [media center]."

Rarely at a loss for words, Kyle Busch said he thinks NASCAR has set a precedent moving forward and that drivers will have to think before they speak.

"You can't trash the sport," Busch said. "How long is [NASCAR] going to be here [if you do] and why would you want to trash the sport ... that's kind of dumb.

"You can pretty much say whatever you want, whenever you want, but when it comes down to the integrity of the sport, that's [NASCAR's] soft spot. If you ever thought you were going to touch something that you shouldn't, that's where it's at."

Related:
• Newman, Hamlin admit they were drivers fined
• Sound Off: Fines for Hamlin, Newman