Kurt Busch, Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick were revealed as the latest inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of its 2026 class.
The latest additions were announced in a ceremony at the Hall of Fame in Charlotte on May 20.
Busch and Gant were added as the inductees on the Modern Era ballot, while Hendrick’s nod was via the Pioneer ballot.
Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion, scored 34 Cup wins, five NASCAR Xfinity Series victories and four NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series triumphs throughout a career that began with his inaugural Truck start in 2000.
In addition to his 2004 title, Busch was also the 2017 Daytona 500 winner.
After an injury, Busch retired from Cup racing in 2023, after running his final event in 2022.
Gant is an 18-time winner in the Cup Series in a career in the series that stretched from 1973 to 1994. He added 21 Xfinity victories.
As of 2025, Gant is the oldest winner in Cup history at 52 years old in 1992.
Hendrick, who died in 1990, was a longtime modified and late model driver whose No. 11 was a mainstay across the touring ranks, with 700 victories, including 20 at Martinsville Speedway.
He was also a five-time track champion at South Boston Speedway across its modified and late model divisions.
Humpy Wheeler, meanwhile, was announced as the recipient of the Landmark Award in his first year on the ballot.
Wheeler was the general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, a role he held until 2008 after joining the track in 1975.
Busch and Randy LaJoie were newcomers to the latest Modern Era ballot, while the Pioneer ballot was made up of nominees who were either returning from the previous year or, in the case of Jake Elder, returned after an absence.
Busch, Gant and Hendrick will be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame in a ceremony on Jan. 23, 2026.
Kevin Rutherford is the executive editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2025 after being the managing editor since 2015, and serving on the editing staff since 2013.
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