NASCAR News: Kurt Busch, Harry Gant, Ray Hendrick inducted into NASCAR Hall of Fame
From blue-collar beginnings to the iconic blue jacket of immortality—that’s the journey of the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
Drivers Kurt Busch, Harry Gant, and the late Ray Hendrick, each rising from humble origins to stock car racing stardom, were enshrined Friday night at the Charlotte Convention Center. Busch and Gant earned their spots through the Modern Era Ballot, while Hendrick was selected from the Pioneer Ballot by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel.
The evening also celebrated legendary promoter H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler with the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR, and veteran journalist Deb Williams with the Squier-Hall Award for Media Excellence.
Busch coined the phrase “from blue collar to blue jacket” at a pre-induction gathering, capturing his improbable rise from tinkering on his father’s cars in Las Vegas to capturing the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series championship. After dominating the Southwest Tour in 1999, Busch aced team owner Jack Roush’s “Gong Show” tryout and entered the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
In his lone full truck season in 2000, Busch notched four wins, Rookie of the Year honors, and a runner-up finish behind teammate Greg Biffle. Roush fast-tracked him to Cup, where Busch endured a 27th-place debut year before surging to third in 2002 with victories at Bristol, Martinsville, Atlanta, and Homestead-Miami.
His crowning achievement came in 2004, clinching the inaugural Chase-era championship despite a dramatic pit-road mishap at Homestead, where his right front tire detached. He rallied to fifth and edged Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson by eight points.
Now 47, Busch amassed 34 Cup wins—tied for 26th all-time—including the 2017 Daytona 500 and a 2010 Charlotte sweep of the All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600. He received his Hall of Fame ring from brother Kyle, with the siblings combining for 97 Cup victories, the most by any brothers in NASCAR history.
“To stand here with NASCAR legends, executives, voters, owners, sponsors, family, friends, and fans—it’s beyond my wildest dreams,” Busch said. He thanked his parents, Tom and Gaye, and his Las Vegas support network: “I was just a blue-collar kid with a racing dream. Your work ethic and encouragement made this possible.”
Busch’s final Cup triumph came at Kansas in 2022 for 23XI Racing, making him the only driver to win for four manufacturers: Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge, and Toyota. His versatility shone in 2014 with a sixth-place Indy 500 finish before racing the Coca-Cola 600 the same day.
Like Busch, Gant started small, honing his skills on Hickory Motor Speedway’s dirt track. He debuted in Cup at 33 in 1973 for Junie Donlavey but went full-time in 1979 after selling his construction business.
Gant holds age records: oldest Cup winner at 52 years, 219 days (Michigan, 1992) and oldest first-time winner at 42 years, 105 days (Martinsville, 1982). Nicknamed “Mr. September” for his 1991 streak of four straight wins in the No. 33 Skoal Bandit at Darlington, Richmond, Dover, and Martinsville, Gant tallied 18 Cup victories and 21 in what’s now the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. He was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.
“Thank you to NASCAR and the France family for this Hall and a livelihood,” Gant said after receiving his ring from Kyle Petty. “And to the fans—you voted me in. I’m grateful.”
Ray Hendrick, a relentless competitor known as “Mr. Modified,” raced anywhere with prize money, amassing over 700 wins across nearly 40 years with a 44.4% win rate and top-five finishes in 80% of starts. The Richmond native swept Martinsville’s modified and late model events in one day and won 20 times there alone. Named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers, he passed from cancer in 1990 at 61.
Though unrelated by blood, Hendrick inspired a young Rick Hendrick. Son Ronnie Hendrick accepted the ring from grandsons Chuck and Ray III: “On behalf of our family, thank you to NASCAR, the Hall, voters, and fans. Dad would be humbled to join these greats.”
Wheeler, who died last year at 86, revolutionized promotion during his 33 years leading Charlotte Motor Speedway. His spectacles, like explosive military demos during the Coca-Cola 600, drew crowds. He championed Janet Guthrie’s 1976 entry and track lighting. Daughters Patti Wheeler and Tracy Hardy accepted his Landmark Award.
Williams, a trailblazing female journalist, started at UPI and edited Winston Cup Scene for a decade. The 14th Squier-Hall recipient, she called it “the Mt. Everest of motorsports journalism.”
Hall executive director Winston Kelley honored 1960 champion Rex White and the late Greg Biffle, killed in a 2025 plane crash with his family. Biffle received the NMPA Myers Brothers Award and the inaugural North Carolina Motorsports Association philanthropy honor.
