Earlier this year, Denny Hamlin had made his stance on NASCAR’s Hall of Fame inductees clear: No Cup Series career, no Hall of Fame entry. A few months later, he has softened his stance as Justin Allgaier becomes central to the debate. As the argument rages over whether it is NASCAR’s Hall of Fame or the Cup Series Hall of Fame, the bigger question is whether the sport distinguishes the greatest of all time based on the category they competed in, and if so, what it takes to make it to the elite list.

On this week’s episode of Actions Detrimental, Denny Hamlin and his podcast co-hosts circled back to the Hall of Fame criteria list. Hamlin asked his co-host Travis Rockhold whether his mind on NASCAR Hall of Fame induction had changed now that Justin Allgaier has won two O’Reilly titles. Rockhold, who had previously backed the idea of Cup Series being the benchmark for inducting drivers, doubled down on his take.

“That doesn’t change my feelings. Like, is Tyler Reddick a Hall of Famer right now? Then neither is Justin Allgaier.” He added, “Like, I just can’t do it. Like Okay. Tyler’s (Reddick) got one, right? One rally championship. And how many wins in cup? And if he’s not, then I just can’t.”

Hamlin, who shared Rockhold’s views back in March 2026, reflected on his initial remark now that Allgaier has clinched his second title. And while he did not scrap his initial claim that the Cup Series should decide, he did have a slightly different take on veterans who deserve to be inducted not only for their on-track contributions but also for their scope of work beyond the track.

“I mean, it just depends on where it goes in the Cup,” Hamlin said before pivoting. “But there’s been a lot of people yet in that haven’t had 30-40 win careers that are absolutely deserving. Like, I can think of Jeff Burton because it’s far beyond what he did on the racetrack. Yeah, he was a Hall of Famer in the sport as a broadcaster, as a, you know, very important person in the garage. Um, on-track accolades, all those things combined. You just combine them up, and that’s how you end up with a jacket, you know.”

While Hamlin may have reignited the debate, it began with Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s The Dale Jr. Download podcast in March 2026. Dale Jr. raised the question of whether drivers such as A.J. Foyt and Justin Allgaier deserved NASCAR Hall of Fame recognition. Rockhold replied that success in the lower divisions should not count toward induction.

Earnhardt Jr. was quick to dismiss Rockhold’s stance by calling him out on his take. He bashed his producer by saying, “Are you f***ing serious? It’s the NASCAR Hall of Fame, not the NASCAR Cup Hall of Fame.”

Months later, Justin Allgaier has become central to the conversation again, as his stellar achievements in the O’Reilly Series have prompted calls for Hall of Fame recognition from fans and veterans alike. Allgaier now holds two O’Reilly Series titles, 34 victories in the division, a record 326 top-10 finishes, and has never finished lower than seventh in the final standings in any of his 16 full-time O’Reilly seasons. He was also crowned the ARCA Racing Series 2008 Champion.

While Allgaier has had 87 Cup starts, he has never won a race in the series. His failure to secure wins at the top step of NASCAR is why Rockhold believes the Hall of Fame recognition would diminish the value of the title and would make it “Hall of Very Good” instead of the best.

Hamlin was impressed by Justin Allgaier’s 2026 O’Reilly season.

Hamlin said, “One thing that we know for absolute certain is Justin Allgaier was the best O’Reilly’s driver for the whole year. I mean, no dispute when it comes to that. I mean, he had he took some, you know, he was the Matrix guy, you know, dodging the bullets at the beginning of the chase from Sheldon Creed and a few others that gave him, you know, pretty good run, but in the end, you just ain’t going to beat that guy’s consistency um and his level of performance. Not anytime soon.”

While he has not revealed what made him consider other options or expand on his previously headstrong viewpoint, he remains an active driver and is not yet eligible. Hamlin holds 64 Cup Series victories despite not winning a title.

More NASCAR veterans and drivers have expressed their take on the Hall of Fame debate. Kyle Petty argues that the number of wins or statistics alone should not be the criteria for who makes it to the list. He built his argument on the examples of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Carl Edwards.

The late Kyle Busch had also weighed in, adding that the sport should respect every division and honor talents from all walks of NASCAR to truly represent the best of the sport.

Speaking to the media in Martinsville in March 2026, Busch had expressed, “Our sport is vastly different than other sports. I feel like it’s done the right way, the way it’s been done currently.”

Kevin Harvick, who is set to be inducted next year, presented a more neutral stance by stating that the recognition needs to have clearer criteria, although it is known as the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Since the Hall opened in 2010, NASCAR has inducted 70 Hall of Famers through 2026. Of the 70, 55 were inducted wholly or partly as drivers, and 15 for non-driving roles, such as owners, crew chiefs, promoters and broadcasters.

This list also features some of the greatest NASCAR drivers from outside the Cup Series, such as Ron Hornaday Jr., Jack Ingram, Richie Evans, Jerry Cook, Mike Stefanik, Red Farmer, Hershel McGriff, and Ray Hendrick. They competed in the Modified Championship, Busch Series, Truck Series, Short-Track Racing, West Coast Racing and Late Model Championships and Series.

The 2026 Hall of Fame class inducted Kurt Busch, Harry Gant, and Ray Hendrick for their notable contributions as drivers. The 2027 Hall of Fame class will feature Jeff Burton, Kevin Harvick, and Larry Phillips, along with Lesa France Kennedy, who will receive the 2027 Landmark Award.