Kurt Busch Headlines NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2026

NASCAR officially revealed the three drivers who will take their place inside the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2026 on Tuesday in a ceremony at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC.

Headlining the class is 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kurt Busch, who was elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame in his first year on the Modern Era Ballot.

Busch, 46, was one of the most naturally talented drivers that have come through the NASCAR Cup Series. The native of Las Vegas scored 34 NASCAR Cup Series wins over a career that spanned 776 starts.

Among the racer's 34 career wins was a triumph in the Daytona 500 in 2017.

Busch's NASCAR Cup Series career came to an abrupt end 20 races into the 2022 season. Busch suffered a concussion in a crash in qualifying at Pocono Raceway. The side effects from the concussion forced Busch to retire from NASCAR Cup Series racing.

The driver scored victories in the NASCAR Cup Series for four different manufacturers (Ford, Dodge, Chevrolet, and Toyota).

Joining Busch in the Class from the Modern Era Ballot was "Handsome" Harry Gant.

Gant, 85, excelled in the NASCAR Sportsman Division, and was a late-bloomer on his unique path to the NASCAR Cup Series. Gant didn't compete in his first full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series until he was 40 years old.

However, the late start didn't hold Gant back.

The legendary driver would amass 18 NASCAR Cup Series wins, including a run of four consecutive victories during the 1991 season.

Gant picked up his final victory at Michigan International Speedway in 1992, and to this day, he remains the oldest driver to ever collect a win in NASCAR Cup Series competition at 52 years, 7 months old.

Ray Hendrick, a legend from the NASCAR Modified ranks, was the driver elected from the Pioneer Ballot, and he'll be enshrined along with Busch and Gant.

Known as "Mr. Modified", Hendrick captured more than 700 wins combined in Modified and Late Model Sportsman competition from 1950 to 1988. Hendrick was named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.

Additionally, H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, a longtime promoter, President and General Manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway was the recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

Wheeler spent 33 years innovating what it meant to attend NASCAR Cup Series races from his helm at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and he was never afraid to push the needle if he felt it would add something for the fans scouring far and wide to attend a race at his facility.

Members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel met on Tuesday in an in-person closed session at the Charlotte Convention Center to debate and vote upon the 15 nominees for the induction class of 2026 and the five nominees for the Landmark Award.

The Class of 2026 was determined by votes cast by the Voting Panel, including representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders, a nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.com and the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion (Joey Logano). In all, 49 votes were cast.

According to NASCAR, the accounting firm of EY presided over the tabulation of the votes.

Busch and Gant both received 61% of the Modern Era ballot votes, which secured their places in the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Jeff Burton finished third, followed by Harry Hyde and Randy Dorton.

Ray Hendrick received 31% of the Pioneer ballot votes. NASCAR Convertible Series standout Bob Welborn finished second.

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