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Kyle Busch Receives Major Honor Along With Daytona 500 Champion

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jonathan Howard | Last updated Apr 8, 2026 2:09 PM ET

Kyle Busch and Michael McDowell are both nominees for the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame Class of 2026. Busch has a list of achievements in stock cars that would take an entire day to list out, and McDowell has done his fair share to represent the West Coast on the biggest of stages, including a Daytona 500 win.

Alongside Busch and McDowell as first-time nominees are Ron Capps and the legendary John Force. Roger and Casey Mears are being nominated as a father-son duo together.

Johnny Anderson, Frank Deiny, Cory Kruzeman, Jeff Schrader, and Bruce Yackey are the other first-time nominees.

Michael McDowell reacts after qualifying for pole position for the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Kyle Busch and John Force are no-brainers. You could say the same for Capps, too. When you look at the list, it would be hard not to include McDowell in that conversation, and the Mears duo would make for a fitting fifth selection for the Class of 2026.

However, all of these drivers who are first-time nominees, and those who have been nominated before in recent years, have their own accolades and awards to lean on. So, we'll see how the voters decide to break these 21 nominees down to 10 semifinalists, and then, the five inductees.

Kyle's older brother, Kurt is already in the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame. Fellow NASCAR great Kevin Harvick is also a member of the Hall in addition to Ron Hornaday Jr., and so many other West Coast legends.

In recent years, the West Coast Hall of Fame has been a stepping stone to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Kurt, Harvick next, and one day, Kyle will join them. It's a matter of when he becomes eligible for it, and not if.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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