NASCAR Legends Awaiting Potentially Career-Changing News

One of the most anticipated names to earn Hall of Fame honors is Greg Biffle.

Biffle is a Craftsman Truck Series champion (2000) and an O'Reilly Auto Parts Series champion (2002). Biffle never won a Cup Series championship, but he did win 19 races driving Jack Roush's iconic No. 16 car. Biffle was named among NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers.

Unfortunately, Biffle passed away in 2025 in a tragic plane accident in his home state of North Carolina. In tribute, RFK Racing's three-car team has sported throwback paint schemes honoring Biffle and Jack Roush Racing earlier this season.

Kevin Harvick is another big-name driver expected to earn his way into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Harvick ranks in the top 10 all-time in Cup Series victories with 60, in addition to being the 2014 Cup Series champion and a two-time Xfinity Series champion (2001, 2006). Harvick also has eight Crown Jewel race wins, including the Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, Southern 500, and Coca-Cola 600.

Other names that may very well earn their bid this afternoon include Jeff Burton, Randy LaJoie, Jack Sprague, and Neil Bonnett.

Burton has 21 career Cup Series victories, plus another 27 wins in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series. Burton has three career Crown Jewel race wins. He is among NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers.

LaJoie won 15 races over the course of his 21-year career. He also won back-to-back O'Reilly Auto Parts Series championships in 1996 and 1997.

Sprague made his biggest mark in NASCAR's Craftsman Truck Series, where he won three championships (1997, 1999, 2001). Over his 17-year career, Sprague recorded 28 race wins and 32 poles.

The late Neil Bonnett compiled 18 career Cup Series wins and multiple Crown Jewel victories, including back-to-back Coca-Cola 600s. He never won a championship. Bonnett was killed in a practice crash ahead of the 1994 Daytona 500.

The Pioneer Ballot honors standout figures from NASCAR's earlier era. These are the accomplishments of each nominee:

• Larry Phillips — five-time NASCAR Weekly Series national champion
• Harry Hyde — 1970 Cup championship-winning crew chief
• Banjo Matthews — car builder tied to more than 250 Cup wins
• Herb Nab — two-time Cup championship-winning crew chief
• Ray Fox — mechanic, owner, and Southern 500-winning car owner

The Landmark Award is intended to recognize non-drivers and crew members. Not all contributions to the sport are earned on the track. The award has been handed out 11 times to date. Read more about the Landmark Award here.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame has a 10-year limit on nominations. For example, Harvick is eligible for the first time. Although Harvick is expected to earn Hall of Fame honors in his first year of eligibility, he would have nine more chances if he is not selected in 2026.

Neil Bonnett is on the ballot for the seventh time.

No matter who gets the honor, which will be announced at 4:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, it will be well deserved, given their career contributions to NASCAR's growth. The drivers will gain their formal honor at the NASCAR Hall of Fame Ceremony before the 2027 Daytona 500.

Last year's winners were: Kurt Busch, Ray Hendrick, and Harry Gant (Pioneer). Humpy Wheeler won the Landmark Award.