DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Kurt Busch, Harry Gant and modified legend Ray Hendrick had been introduced because the 2026 class of the NASCAR Corridor of Fame on Tuesday night.
The three-person group is the sixteenth class for the reason that inception of the NASCAR Corridor of Fame in 2010. As well as, Humpy Wheeler was named the recipient of the Landmark Award for Excellent Contributions to NASCAR.
Members of the NASCAR Corridor of Fame Voting Panel met in the present day in an in-person closed session on the Charlotte Conference Heart to debate and vote upon the 15 nominees for the induction class of 2026 and the 5 nominees for the Landmark Award.
The category of 2026 was decided by votes solid by the Voting Panel, together with representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Corridor of Fame, monitor homeowners from main services and historic quick tracks, media members, producer representatives, rivals (drivers, homeowners, crew chiefs), acknowledged trade leaders, a nationwide fan vote carried out by means of NASCAR.com and the reigning NASCAR Cup Collection champion (Joey Logano).
In all, 49 votes had been solid. The accounting agency of EY presided over the tabulation of the votes.
Busch and Gant each acquired 61% of the Fashionable Period poll votes. Jeff Burton completed third, adopted by Harry Hyde and Randy Dorton. Ray Hendrick acquired 31% of the Pioneer poll votes. Bob Welborn completed second.
Outcomes for the NASCAR.com Fan Vote had been: Ray Hendrick (Pioneer); Kurt Busch and Harry Gant (Fashionable Period).
The 2 Fashionable Period inductees got here from a bunch of 10 nominees that included: Greg Biffle, Neil Bonnett, Tim Brewer, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Randy Dorton, Harry Gant, Harry Hyde, Randy LaJoie and Jack Sprague.
Nominees for the Pioneer Poll included: Jake Elder, Ray Hendrick, Banjo Matthews, Larry Phillips and Ralph Moody.
Nominees for the Landmark Award included Alvin Hawkins, Lesa France Kennedy, Dr. Joseph Mattioli, Les Richter and Humpy Wheeler.
Ten nominees appeared on the Fashionable Period poll, which was chosen by the normal Nominating Committee. The identical committee chosen the 5 Landmark Award nominees. The Pioneer poll, which included 5 nominees whose careers started in 1966 or earlier, was chosen by the Honors Committee.
The category of 2026 Induction Ceremony is ready for Friday, Jan. 23, 2026 on the NASCAR Corridor of Fame and Charlotte Conference Heart in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Kurt Busch
Kurt Busch’s journey to NASCAR stardom started in 2000 with a Truck Collection rookie season that foreshadowed greatness. With 4 wins and a championship runner-up end, Busch signaled to followers and rivals alike that he would quickly be a drive on the prime stage of the game.
By 2002, Busch was already making waves within the NASCAR Cup Collection. His first win got here on the famed Bristol Motor Speedway, he completed third in factors, and from there, his profession soared to new heights.
Busch’s huge breakthrough got here in 2004, when he captured the NASCAR Cup Collection Championship, changing into the primary driver to win the title below NASCAR’s ‘playoff’ system – a feat that proved each his excellence and adaptableness. Busch earned 34 Cup Collection wins in 776 begins, together with an exciting victory within the 2017 Daytona 500.
Harry Gant
Harry Gant was a person with many nicknames: “Good-looking Harry” for his attractiveness, the “Bandit” due his long-time sponsor Skoal Bandit, “Mr. September” after his 4 consecutive premier sequence and two Xfinity sequence wins in September of 1991 and “Excessive Groove Harry” due to his proficiency in taking the excessive line by means of the nook.
Gant gained 18 premier sequence races, together with the Southern 500 in 1984 and 1991. The North Carolinian additionally registered 21 wins within the Xfinity Collection. Within the 5 seasons from 1981 by means of 1985, Gant completed within the prime 5 in factors 4 instances, together with a runner-up championship end to Terry Labonte in 1984.
Ray Hendrick
The unique “Mr. Modified,” Ray Hendrick is without doubt one of the winningest drivers of all time, amassing greater than 700 modified and late mannequin sportsman wins between 1950-88. Hendrick’s success began in his house state of Virginia, the place his well-known No. 11 was identified to all.
He gained 5 monitor championships at South Boston Speedway – 4 modified and one late mannequin sportsman. Regardless of by no means successful a Modified Division championship, Hendrick completed within the prime 10 within the standings 9 instances from 1960-69. Hendrick was named one in all NASCAR’s 75 Biggest Drivers and one in all NASCAR Modified’s All-Time Prime 10 Drivers.
Landmark Award for Excellent Contributions to NASCAR:
Humpy Wheeler
Humpy Wheeler’s title is synonymous with promotion and innovation. Greatest identified for his 33-year tenure as President and Normal Supervisor of Charlotte Motor Speedway, Wheeler performed a pivotal position in reworking the venue right into a world-class facility that attracted a variety of followers and company sponsors.
Most notably, Wheeler spearheaded the development of the enduring Flip 4 grandstands and launched the “NASCAR Expertise,” which introduced followers even nearer to the motion. Including a brand new dynamic to the game, Wheeler’s visionary management and creativity helped form in the present day’s fan expertise with the introduction of dramatic pre-race ceremonies and the event of evening racing at superspeedways.
