The voting committee for the NASCAR Hall of Fame announced its results on Tuesday (March 19), with the three newest members being Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Larry Phillips.
Harvick and Burton enjoyed success across NASCAR’s national series, while Phillips never raced in a national event. They took different paths to the Hall, each with its own triumphs and pitfalls.
Here’s a closer look at the three who will be inducted in 2027.
Kevin Harvick
By the numbers
Cup Series wins: 60 (11th all-time)
Top fives: 251
Top 10s: 444
NASCAR Cup Series Champion: 2014
NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Champion: 2001, 2006
Notable: Harvick won in his third Cup start in 2001. Rushed to the Cup Series a year ahead of schedule with the unenviable task of taking over Dale Earnhardt’s ride after Earnhardt’s death, Harvick delivered an emotional victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the first of two wins in his rookie season.
When he moved from Richard Childress Racing to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, Harvick immediately showed what he could do in equipment that was a level above from what he had at RCR, winning the title in his first year at SHR. From 2014-20, Harvick won multiple races each season, including a nine-win 2020 season.
Among drivers whose careers began in the 2000s, Harvick ranks fourth in Cup Series wins. In addition to his Cup wins, Harvick has 47 O’Reilly Series wins and 14 Craftsman Truck Series victories. He has wins in the preseason Clash and All-Star Race.
Since retiring from driving, Harvick has been a staple in the broadcast booth for FOX’s NASCAR coverage. He also co-owns the CARS Tour, giving grassroots racers a platform to move up the racing ladder.
Why he’s in: Out of the just over 2,500 drivers who have started at least one Cup Series race, less than 10% have a win. 11 have 60 or more. Like him or not, Harvick is one of the best to ever climb into a Cup car.
Why he might not have been: Harvick wasn’t the easiest driver for fans to like. Or his competitors, for that matter. Bold and brash with a hair-trigger temper, Harvick had his share of run-ins with others. He ran his mouth almost as much as he ran his racecars. None of this was a good reason to keep him from being inducted, but he had his detractors, and that may have cost him a vote or two. Still, he got over 90% of the committee’s votes for a reason.
Jeff Burton
By the numbers
Cup Series wins: 21
Top fives: 154
Top 10s: 254
Notable: In addition to his Cup wins, Burton has 27 O’Reilly Series wins and an All-Star victory. Like Harvick, he’s made a second career in the broadcast booth as part of the NBC team.
Burton earned the nickname “The Mayor” because he bridged the gap between the drivers and sanctioning body. He addressed drivers’ concerns with NASCAR, particularly when it came to safety. And NASCAR listened to Burton, who approached issues diplomatically instead of emotionally. He gave competitors a voice.
Why he’s in: As a driver alone, Burton probably falls short. He doesn’t have a national series title. His win total is impressive, but doesn’t approach a lot of other Hall of Famers in sheer numbers.
But voters also consider other contributions to the sport, and that gave Burton enough of a push to take the second spot on the modern era ballot, even though he only raked in 32% of total votes. After Harvick, the list of nominees is a little thin.
Why he might not have been: He doesn’t have a national title and has just 21 Cup wins. In that territory, drivers need extenuating circumstances. Burton has them because of his advocating for drivers and making NASCAR listen, but the vote was a close one for him.
Voters have been historically divided on inducting behind-the-scenes standouts, which worked in Burton’s favor this year. Engine builder Randy Dorton has the credentials but not the notoriety.
Larry Philips
By the numbers
Wins: Unknown
NASCAR Local Racing Series Powered by O’Reilly Auto Parts national champion: 1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996
Notable: Phillips bridges the Hall of Fame gap between the weekly racers running in NASCAR-sanctioned races at tracks across the country. He was the first driver to win the national Local Racing title five times. En route to his first title, Phillips won 23 of 27 sanctioned races.
His late model win total is unknown, and records for local tracks can be spotty. The number is estimated at well over 1,000. Opponents would cringe when his trailer arrived at the track.
Why he’s in: Better question: why did it take this long? Phillips didn’t race in NASCAR’s national ranks, but in some ways, his accomplishments at short tracks are even more impressive. Local tracks span the country, and most of those tracks, and their stars, are known only to the local people. Phillips didn’t have television broadcasts following his career. He didn’t have five-figure sponsorship deals or a team with shaker rigs and full-factory backing.
Phillips was the definition of a blue-collared racer. Even after he was diagnosed with cancer, he showed up at the track until the disease sapped his ability to race. He won 220 of 289 NASCAR-sanctioned starts in an 11-year span and has 13 track championships in multiple states.
Why he might not have been: Weekly racing isn’t as glamorous as the Cup Series. Many fans don’t follow racing beyond the national stage, and Phillips didn’t walk onto that stage. Tuesday’s announcement likely had fans scrambling to Google Phillips’ name.
It has been difficult for drivers whose success came in series other than Cup to make the cut. Regional series drivers are underrepresented, and until Phillips, local racers were barely an afterthought.
Beyond Harvick, this year’s modern era ballot lacked sparkle. Sentimental favorite Greg Biffle is close to Burton in the win column and does have O’Reilly and NASCAR Craftsman Truck series titles, but lacks Burton’s TV credentials or behind-the-scenes role. Neil Bonnett also just misses on the numbers. Dorton isn’t as glamorous. Burton’s call was a close one.
Phillips has been overlooked in the past, so his inclusion on the pioneer ballot was overdue.
Amy is an 20-year veteran NASCAR writer and a six-time National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) writing award winner, including first place awards for both columns and race coverage. As well as serving as Photo Editor, Amy writes The Big 6 (Mondays) after every NASCAR Cup Series race. She can also be found working on her bi-weekly columns Holding A Pretty Wheel (Tuesdays) and Only Yesterday (Wednesdays). A New Hampshire native whose heart is in North Carolina, Amy’s work credits have extended everywhere from driver Kenny Wallace’s website to Athlon Sports. She can also be heard weekly as a panelist on the Hard Left Turn podcast that can be found on AccessWDUN.com's Around the Track page.
I don’t think Jeff Burton has an All-Star Win. He won the open race in 2003 but never the main.
Greg Biffle should be on that list for his humanitarian work. He helped advance NASCARs image through his endeavors to aid others. I’m very disappointed
Yes, I fully expected Greg Biffle to get in, but I hope he’s a lock for next year.
Still no Smokey!