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NASCAR Hall Of Fame Makes Decision On Kurt Busch

Originally posted on The Spun | By Chris Rosvoglou | Last updated May 20, 2025 6:32 PM ET

Is Kurt Busch a NASCAR Hall of Famer? We got the answer to that question on Tuesday.

NASCAR unveiled its Hall of Fame Class of 2026 on Tuesday. After being on the ballot for seven years, Harry Gant has finally been accepted into this exclusive club. He won 18 Premier Series races during his career, which included victories in the Southern 500.

Ray Hendrick, who had more than 700 victories from 1950-1988, was elected into the Hall of Fame after his second year on the Pioneer Ballot. That's not a huge surprise considering he was named to NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers list in 2023.

The third and final member from the Class of 2026 is none other than Kurt Busch.

Busch won 34 races and recorded 339 top-ten finishes during his time in the Cup Series. The highlight of his career came in 2004 when he became the first champion of the Cup Series playoff era. As for the end of his career, his final season as a full-time driver came in 2022.

"As I transition out of the driver’s seat, I can’t help but feel incredibly blessed to have spent the amount of time I did as a driver in NASCAR, and I could never have imagined that growing up as a blue-collar kid from Las Vegas," Busch said, via NASCAR.com.

"So many people have been part of my journey. I want to thank the fans, my family, friends, sponsors and team members. Thanks to everyone who has taught me the different things around the motorsports world, and also for those who have had to put up with me. And I want to just thank again, everyone that continues to push me to strive for success in this sport. It’s time for a new journey, and I’m excited to get started."

Congratulations to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2026.

This article first appeared on The Spun and was syndicated with permission.

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