When something like the Hall of Fame is discussed for a particular sport, the debate is always controversial. And when you bring it to something like motorsports, well, good luck dealing with the countless examples of some great personalities who deserve that spot. While NASCAR deals with the same controversy for its Hall of Fame induction ceremony, Denny Hamlin has a harsh wake-up call for the sport.

Denny Hamlin asks NASCAR to stop Hall of Fame from becoming a consolation prize

“There is no higher accomplishment in your place of work than reaching the Hall of Fame. And in my opinion, it’s only my opinion, in the lower series, I don’t know if you stay there for whatever reason,” said Hamlin.

As its name suggests, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is literally hinting that it is one of the highest achievements that a person can get. So, when you add someone to the Hall of Fame, obviously that person needs to be at the pinnacle of the sport. Their achievements should eclipse almost everyone else’s in whatever they have done. That’s the reason why Denny Hamlin feels like the Hall of Fame is going to lose its charm.

“Okay. Well, that person didn’t get an opportunity. Well, maybe Eric Jones didn’t have an opportunity to stay in a top truck and win 25 championships. That’s not it. We can’t do the ifs and buts without going the other way.”

Right now, the tradition faces backlash because of the fact that drivers who’ve not achieved the same as the greats have are also added to it. To support his arguments, Hamlin brings forward the fact that any Hall of Fame inductee will join the likes of Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, and others who have given a new meaning to the sport. So when someone who does not have any similar achievements gets a place in the same spot, it undermines the other legends.

Those other drivers were the supreme forces during their time. Adding someone who was a ‘what if’ or a ‘never got a chance to be’ does not do justice to the others who did everything in their power to become immortal names in the sport.

“And you can put the top 28 in the Cup in the lower series, and they’re going to win championships in a ton of races. A ton of races. So, I just don’t think you can judge them the same.

“And I feel as though when people make arguments for the guys in the lower series, listen, more so today—I will say this: the difference between the Cup and Modifieds, like Ray Hendrick when he won all his modified championships, the disparity wasn’t that different. 

“Like, it wasn’t that the cup was not far and away bigger than Modifieds like it is today. I think if I oversimplify this, I think it’s okay if everyone they’re talking about gets in, but it certainly should be a tiered system.”

Not only that, Denny Hamlin also has a stern warning for NASCAR if they continue adding more and more members to the NASCAR Hall of Fame without considering the repercussions.

Denny Hamlin warns NASCAR of running out of people to add

A while ago, NASCAR switched the induction program from five people to three people per year. But in Hamlin’s eyes, that is still too much. He believes that some years can go by without any further additions. It should be something that signifies the work that a person has done for the sport. To amplify the quality and importance of their contribution, it is necessary for the sport to focus on quality rather than quantity.

“It’s like I’m more in favor of maybe some years of zero getting in. There are just not that many people. I don’t know why there has to be a certain amount every time. We’re going to run out of people, and that’s when we’re going to start. Well, I mean, I think in the next 15 years, think about this. I think with someone with 10 cup wins, we’re going to be talking about the Hall of Fame. 

“I’m serious because you’re just going to run out of people, or you’re just going to lower the standards and say, ‘Okay, all right. Well, let’s now look at someone that’s won one Xfinity championship and 15 races.’”

His last statement sounds very controversial but offers very practical difficulty. At the end of the day, NASCAR keeps adding anyone they feel fit to the Hall of Fame. Then the debate will end up reaching a point about ‘What now? Who do we add next? We don’t have anyone left.’ And when that happens, it will be a shameful day for the sport and the legends alike.