NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees: Kurt Busch, Harry Gant, Ray Hendrick

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A NASCAR Cup Series champion, a two-time Southern 500 champion, and a modified legend are headed into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Kurt Busch, Harry Gant, and Ray Hendrick will be immortalized in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, joining the previous 67 inductees. H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, the longtime promoter and manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, was awarded the 2026 Landmark Award.

The 2004 NASCAR Cup Series Champion will enter the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Busch won 34 races in his illustrious career, including the 2017 Daytona 500 and the 2010 Coca-Cola 600.

The Las Vegas native won races with five different teams: Roush, Penske, Stewart-Haas, Ganassi, and 23XI.

Busch was a cornerstone of 2000s NASCAR for his on-track success and outspoken behavior, often fueled by a short temper that fused iconic rivalries with Jimmy Spencer, Tony Stewart, and even his own brother, Kyle Busch.

“Handsome” Harry Gant will head into the Hall of Fame in his seventh year on the ballot. Gant won 18 races in his career, most notably the 1984 and 1991 Southern 500s. 

Gant won four straight races in September 1991, tying a modern NASCAR record. 

The Taylorsville, North Carolina native scored five top-five points finishes, including a second-place finish in 1984 behind Terry Labonte.

“Mr. Modified” was inducted into the Hall of Fame on the pioneer ballot. Hendrick is estimated to have won over 700 races in NASCAR’s modified and late model sportsman divisions.

Hendrick was named one of the 50 Greatest NASCAR Drivers in 1998.