Kurt Busch headlines 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame class as first-ballot honoree

Bob Pockrass

FOX Motorsports Insider

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kurt Busch earned a spot in the NASCAR Hall of Fame as a first-ballot selection with stats that show him as one of the sport’s greats.

Busch, Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick — all three former NASCAR Cup drivers — will comprise the 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame class.

“I’ve been through a lot, and to have this is a nice icing on the cake so to speak, from how my career finished in the car versus where we are today, it’s a nice feeling,” said Busch, who has not raced in NASCAR since July 2022 when concussions sidelined him.

“It’s fun to reflect back on all the different moments now.”

A panel of 48 voters plus one combined vote from fan online voting determined the 2026 Hall of Fame class. The two top vote-getters from the 10 Modern Era nominees and the one top vote-getter from the five Pioneer Era nominees earned spots in the 16th induction class.

Busch had far and away the most prolific career when it came to results: 34 Cup victories, one Cup title, a Daytona 500 win, finishing top-5 in more than 20 percent of his starts, winning in 19 different seasons at 18 different tracks.

But two suspensions — one race in 2012 for threatening a reporter (this reporter) and three races in 2015 after a civil no-contact order was issued against him for alleged domestic abuse — and several run-ins with media and competitors were considered a hurdle for Busch to get in on first ballot.

“The late [NASCAR public relations director] Jim Hunter, said it best to me once when I was in some trouble, and he said, ‘Son, you can get as much trouble as you want because you have that much talent to dig yourself out of these holes you keep putting yourself in. But wouldn’t it be better if you didn’t dig those holes, and you could just stay on top riding with your talent?’ Busch said.

“Took a lot of lessons, but this was a fun announcement, and I can’t wait to tell more stories to everyone on what this sport has meant to me and how I’ll still be around.”

He made my ballot — his achievements on the track were significantly stronger than any of the other drivers nominated — as did Gant.

Gant won 18 Cup races, including twice in the tough Southern 500. He also is the oldest driver (age 52) to win a Cup race. Similar statistics as the other drivers nominated as well as his toughness and his appearing in several racing movies pushed him onto my ballot. I felt people came to watch “Handsome Harry” Gant, and he played a role in increased exposure of the sport.

Busch and Gant each earned 30 votes among the 49 panelists on the Modern Era ballot. Former driver and current broadcaster Jeff Burton was third, followed by former crew chief Harry Hyde and former engine builder Randy Dorton.

Hendrick earned the spot reserved for the Pioneer Era with 15 of the 49 votes, indicating a heavy split among the voters (former driver Bill Welborn was second). Hendrick was on my ballot last year and kept that spot this year. Winner of more than 700 short-track races and named one of the top-10 modified drivers of all time, Hendrick had respectable results when racing in top divisions against those who did it regularly.

Former Charlotte Motor Speedway president Humpy Wheeler earned the Landmark Award for contributions to the sport.

The 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame ceremony is scheduled for Jan. 23.

Bob Pockrass covers NASCAR and IndyCar for FOX Sports. He has spent decades covering motorsports, including over 30 Daytona 500s, with stints at ESPN, Sporting News, NASCAR Scene magazine and The (Daytona Beach) News-Journal. Follow him on Twitter @bobpockrass.