Kurt Busch, Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick chose to 2026 Nascar Hall of Fame Class

Charlotte – Former cup champion Kurt Busch is at the forefront of the 2026 Nascar Hall of Fame class selected on Tuesday.

Busch and Harry Gant were selected at the modern era. The amended Racer Ray Hendrick was selected at the Pioneer era mood. The Track Promotor Humpy Wheeler was selected as the winner of the Landmark Award.

Busch and Gant each received 61% of the vote on the ballot from the Moderan era. Jeff Burton finishes third, followed by Harry Hyde and Randy Dorton.

“Everyone on the ballot is someone who can go into the hall because of the impact they have made on the sport,” said Busch, who attended Tuesday’s announcement to family members. “And for me, just a blue collar child from Vegas, I would never be able to imagine it. We were a family where it was just a hobby, it was like a hobby to chase, it was just nice to go to the track like Dad boy. Dad had his car and he helped me build mine. ‘

Hendrick received 31% of the votes over the Pioneer era mood. Bob Welborn finishes second.

There were 49 ballots. Forty-eight voters and the nascar.com fan vote. The ruling cup champion Joey Logano was one of the voters.

The Nascar.com Fan Vote had Ray Hendrick of the Pioneer -era and Kurt Busch and Harry Gant from the modern era.

Busch, Gant and Hendrick – which will be recorded on January 23, 2026 – will join 67 others in the Nascar Hall of Fame and represent the Hall’s 16th class.

The Mercurial Busch was just as well known for its success as its temper. He competed in the cup from 2000-22. Busch won at least one race for ten consecutive years. He had a line of nine consecutive seasons with at least a win when he was forced out of the car due to a concussion he suffered in an accident in Pocono in July 2022.

Busch achieved 34 wins in the career, including the 2010 Coca-Cola 600 and 2017 Daytona 500. He was selected as one of the 75 largest drivers of NASCAR.

During his career, he had memorable run-up with Jimmy Spencer, Nascar officials and media, and contributed his reputation as a fiery participant.

“I think (Nascar executive authority) Jim Hunter, the late Jim Hunter, said it best to me when I was in trouble, and he said,” Boy, you can get as much trouble as you want, because you have so much talent to dig yourself out of these holes that you keep in, but wouldn’t be better if you could just dig on the gate? ”

It was the first year on the ballot for the 46-year-old Busch.

It was the sixth year on the ballot for the 85-year-old Gant. He won 18 races, including two southern 500s and was known as “Mr. September” for winning four consecutive cup racing in 1991. He was named one of the 75 largest drivers of Nascar.

Gant finished third in the vote for the class of 2025, a class with Ricky Rudd and Carl Edwards.

Hendrick, who passed away at the age of 71, won more than 700 races in the modified and late model sportsman divisions. He was named Nascar’s 75 largest drivers and has a record of 20 Martinsville victories. It was his second year on the ballot.