Busch sustained a head injury during a crash at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania. Throughout his career, he achieved 34 victories in 776 Cup races and clinched the 2004 Cup Series championship with Roush, making him the first driver to win a Cup title under NASCAR’s playoff format.
Gant secured 18 wins in 474 Cup Series races from 1973 to 1994, including an impressive streak of four consecutive victories in September 1991. He consistently ranked in the top-five of the points standings for four seasons between 1981 and 1985, notably finishing as the runner-up to champion Terry Labonte in 1984.
Although Gant was never a full-time competitor in the Busch (now Xfinity) Series, he participated in 128 races in that series from 1982 to 1994, achieving 21 wins, with five victories each in the 1988 and 1991 seasons.
Hendrick excelled in modified and late model sportsman racing, amassing over 700 race wins from 1950 to 1988. He was a five-time track champion at South Boston (Virginia) Speedway across both modified and late model sportsman divisions.
In the 1960s, Hendrick finished in the top 10 of the NASCAR Modified Division driver standings nine times and has been recognized as one of the top-10 drivers in the history of NASCAR Modified racing. He has also been honored as one of NASCAR’s 75 greatest drivers.
Wheeler is widely regarded as one of the best promoters in NASCAR history. He served as President and General Manager of Charlotte (North Carolina) Motor Speedway from 1975 until his retirement in 2008.
Wheeler is credited with introducing captivating pre-race shows and establishing night racing at superspeedways. The first national-level night race in NASCAR history at a superspeedway took place during the 1992 Winston, which was the predecessor to the NASCAR All-Star Race, held at Charlotte.
