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What Denny Hamlin said about who should qualify for NASCAR Hall of Fame

StaffBy No Comments15 Mins Read

Denny Hamlin has won 13 NASCAR Cup Series races since being named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers of all-time in 2023. So it should come to no one’s surprise that Hamlin, 45, is widely considered a future NASCAR Hall of Famer.

The question is who should be considered for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and Hamlin has a strong opinion on who belongs and who does not. The 61-time NASCAR Cup Series winner and two-time series runner-up is fine with accomplished Cup Series drivers like himself being enshrined in the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

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It is drivers who compete exclusively in the sport’s lower divisions, including the Craftsman Trucks Series and the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and others outside of the Cup Series who Hamlin says do not belong.

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“I think it just depends on what you want the Hall of Fame to be,” Hamlin said recently on his Actions Detrimental podcast.

Lower-tier NASCAR drivers don’t compare to Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon or Richard Petty

Hamlin said the NASCAR Hall of Fame loses credibility with the sport’s fans when it includes lower-tier drivers with the all-time greats.

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“Now, I see that folks are making the statements that it’s the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Go ask anyone that is the very casual fan … they’re not watching. Do they know that there’s like six series of NASCAR? No, they know of Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and Richard Petty. That’s Sunday.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast started NASCAR Hall of Fame debate

The topic did not just pop up on Hamlin’s podcast. It started on a recent episode of “The Dale Jr. Download” when Travis Rockhold, an on-air contributor for Dirty Mo Media, prefaced a comment by saying it was “controversial” and then said, “I don’t think Xfinity, O’Reilly, Busch, Nationwide (series) should count. To me, Xfinity’s like AAA (in baseball). If it was before NASCAR was created, then we can have a discussion. But if NASCAR Cup Series was there, then I think that’s when it should start.”

Earnhardt Jr. is in the NASCAR Hall of Fame and serves on its voting panel.

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He reminded Rockhold, “It is literally not the Cup Series Hall of Fame,” noting that other levels of the sport are also considered for induction. “You’re literally changing what the Hall of Fame is.”

Kenny Wallace sides with Denny Hamlin on NASCAR Hall of Fame debate

Hamlin, and retired NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace agreed with Rockhold.

On his Coffee with Kenny podcast, Wallace said, “Anyone who compares a former O’Reilly Auto Parts Series champion to the likes of Richard Petty has lost their marbles.”

Hamlin kept the debate going on his podcast Monday.

“I believe that most of the people that have adamant arguments for the lower series guys, they have a connection to them somehow,” Hamlin said. “They are their friends, they grew up watching them or something. So, they have an emotional connection to those people. ‘I want my guy in! He’s my guy! He deserves to be in!’”

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Who are the 2027 NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees?

The NASCAR Hall of Fame selection committee announced its ballot for the 2027 class on March 29. It includes Greg Biffle, Neil Bonnett, Tim Brewer, Jeff Burton, Randy Dorton, Ray Elder, Ernie Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Randy LaJoie, and Jack Sprague on the modern era ballot. The pioneer ballot for older careers includes Ray Fox, Harry Hyde, Banjo Matthews, Herb Nab and Larry Phillips.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame voting panel will meet in Charlotte on May 19 to cast ballots. Fan voting, which will count as one ballot toward the selection of the class, will be open from April 14-May 17 at NASCAR.com.

Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.  

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: What Denny Hamlin said about who should qualify for NASCAR Hall of Fame

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