The NASCAR Hall of Fame announced on Tuesday that Kurt Busch, Harry Gant, and Ray Hendrick will be inducted as part of the Class of 2026.
Both Busch and Gant were chosen from the Modern Era Ballot, each receiving 61 percent of the votes. Jeff Burton, Harry Hyde, and Randy Dorton had the highest votes after them but did not qualify for induction.
Hendrick was elected through the Pioneer Ballot, securing 31 percent of the votes, with Bob Welborn coming in second.
Busch, 46, achieved Hall of Fame status in his first year of eligibility. He was the Cup Series champion in 2004 and has 34 career wins in the Cup Series, including two prestigious events: the 2010 Coca-Cola 600 and the 2017 Daytona 500.
Gant, 85, recorded 21 victories in what is now known as the Xfinity Series, along with 18 wins in the Cup Series, including the Southern 500 in both 1984 and 1991. Already inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Gant was on the NASCAR Hall’s ballot for the seventh time.
Gant holds the record as the oldest driver to win a Cup Series race, achieving this at 52 years and eight months old at Michigan International Speedway in 1992.
Hendrick, who passed away in 1990, had a 36-year motorsports career and was famously known as “Mr. Modified” for his achievements in modified stock car racing. He is credited with over 700 wins in modified racing and the Late Model Sportsman Series.
All three inductees—Busch, Gant, and Hendrick—were recognized on NASCAR’s list of the 75 Greatest Drivers during the league’s 75th anniversary in 2023.
Additionally, H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, the former president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, was honored with the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.
The Class of 2026 will be inducted on January 23 in Charlotte.
