By Holly Cain
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Given his resume, Kurt Busch knew it was a matter of when, not if, he would be selected into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Still, getting voted in on the first ballot Tuesday was a huge relief for Busch, who let out an emotional sigh of relief after hearing his named called at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
“I’m very grateful and thankful that it happened this first time,” Busch said. “You want to have that answer as fast as you can.”
Ray Hendrick and Harry Gant were also voted Tuesday into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, while executive Humpy Wheeler was named the Landmark Award winner for his contribution to the sport. A ceremony will be held to officially induct the Class of 2026 into the Hall of Fame in March.
The 46-year-old Busch held off Jimmie Johnson to win the 2004 Cup Series championship and went on to win 34 Cup races, including at least one victory in 19 of his 21 full-time seasons on the premier circuit before he retired in 2023.
His journey to NASCAR stardom began in 2000 with a Truck Series rookie season that foreshadowed greatness. His big breakthrough came in 2004, when he became the first driver to win the title under NASCAR’s “playoff” system — a feat that proved both his excellence and adaptability.
The consistent Busch finished in the top 10 in the Cup Series standings 10 times.
“Things happened fast for me in this sport and I don’t know how or why,” Busch said. “There was no template, there wasn’t the ladder that these days you see the kids that have a system where it is going to be this or that. For me it was being in the right place at the right time and the universe smiled down on me.”
Hendrick, who died in 1990 at age 61, was the original “Mr. Modified.”
He is one of the winningest drivers of all time, with than 700 modified and late model sportsman wins between 1950-88. His success started in his home state of Virginia, where his No. 11 was well know. He won five track championships at South Boston Speedway — four modified and one late model sportsman.
He was known as a driver that was willing to race “anywhere and everywhere,” and did just that. He filled his schedule with modified and late model sportsman races across the East coast. Hendrick was known best for his wins on short tracks, but also produced victories at Talladega, Charlotte and Dover.
Despite never winning a Modified Division championship, Hendrick finished in the top 10 in the standings nine times from 1960-69.
The 85-year-old Gant, known as the “Bandit” for his long-time sponsorship with Skoal Bandits, won 18 Cup Series races, including the Southern 500 in 1984 and 1991. In the five seasons from 1981 through 1985, he finished in the top five in points four times, including a runner-up championship finish to Terry Labonte in 1984.
He also won 21 Xfinity Series races.
Members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel met Tuesday in an in-person closed session at the Charlotte Convention Center to debate and vote on the 15 nominees for the induction class of 2026 and the five nominees for the Landmark Award.
The 49-person voting panel included representatives from NASCAR, the Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders, a nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.com and the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion (Joey Logano).
Busch and Gant both received 61 percent of the “modern era” ballot votes. Jeff Burton finished third, followed by Harry Hyde and Randy Dorton.
Hendrick received 31 percent of the “pioneer” ballot votes. Bob Welborn finished second.
Gant raced into his 50s, and still holds premier series records for oldest driver to win a race (52 years old) and a pole (54). He drove the first race car with a telemetry system installed in it at Talladega in 1985 and relayed the data to CBS during its coverage of the event.
This was the Gant’s seventh time on the ballot. He did not attend the announcement ceremony on Tuesday and was not available for comment.
All three were among NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers and one of NASCAR Modified’s All-Time Top 10 Drivers.
Wheeler became synonymous with promotion and innovation.
He spent 33 years as the president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway and played a pivotal role in transforming the venue into a world-class facility.
Wheeler added a new dynamic to the sport, a visionary whose leadership and creativity helped shape today’s fan experience with the introduction of dramatic prerace ceremonies and the development of night racing at superspeedways.
He was known for his innovative promotions and stunts.
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