Harry Gant 1986 photograph
Photograph
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Given his résumé, Kurt Busch knew it was a matter of when, not if, he could be chosen into the NASCAR Corridor of Fame.
Nonetheless, getting voted in on the primary poll on Tuesday was an enormous aid for Busch, who let loose an emotional sigh of aid after listening to his named known as on the NASCAR Corridor of Fame.
“I’m very grateful and thankful that it happened this first time,” Busch stated. “You want to have that answer as fast as you can.”
Ray Hendrick and Harry Gant have been additionally voted into the NASCAR Corridor of Fame on Tuesday, whereas govt Humpy Wheeler was named the Landmark Award winner for his contribution to the game. A ceremony shall be held to formally induct the Class of 2026 into the Corridor of Fame in March.
The 46-year-old Busch held off Jimmie Johnson to win the 2004 Cup Sequence championship and went on to win 34 Cup races, together with a minimum of one victory in 19 of his 21 full-time seasons on the premier circuit earlier than he retired in 2023.
His journey to NASCAR stardom started in 2000 with a Truck Sequence rookie season that foreshadowed greatness. His massive breakthrough got here in 2004, when he grew to become the primary driver to win the title beneath NASCAR’s “playoff” system – a feat that proved each his excellence and flexibility.
The constant Busch completed within the high 10 within the Cup Sequence standings 10 instances.
“Things happened fast for me in this sport and I don’t know how or why,” Busch stated. “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 unique “Mr. Modified.”
He is without doubt one of the winningest drivers of all time, with than 700 modified and late mannequin sportsman wins between 1950-88. His success began in his dwelling state of Virginia, the place his No. 11 was properly know. He gained 5 monitor championships at South Boston Speedway — 4 modified and one late mannequin sportsman.
He was referred to as a driver that was keen to race “anywhere and everywhere,” and did simply that. He stuffed his schedule with modified and late mannequin sportsman races throughout the East coast. Hendrick was recognized finest for his wins on quick tracks, but in addition produced victories at Talladega, Charlotte and Dover.
Regardless of by no means successful a Modified Division championship, Hendrick completed within the high 10 within the standings 9 instances from 1960-69.
The 85-year-old Gant, referred to as the “Bandit” for his long-time sponsorship with Skoal Bandits, gained 18 Cup Sequence races, together with the Southern 500 in 1984 and 1991. Within the 5 seasons from 1981 via 1985, he completed within the high 5 in factors 4 instances, together with a runner-up championship end to Terry Labonte in 1984.
He additionally gained 21 Xfinity Sequence races.
Members of the NASCAR Corridor of Fame Voting Panel met Tuesday in an in-person closed session on the Charlotte Conference Middle to debate and vote on the 15 nominees for the induction class of 2026 and the 5 nominees for the Landmark Award.
The 49-person voting panel included representatives from NASCAR, the Corridor of Fame, monitor house owners from main services and historic quick tracks, media members, producer representatives, rivals (drivers, house owners, crew chiefs), acknowledged trade leaders, a nationwide fan vote carried out via NASCAR.com and the reigning NASCAR Cup Sequence champion (Joey Logano).
Busch and Gant each acquired 61% of the “modern era” poll votes. Jeff Burton completed third, adopted by Harry Hyde and Randy Dorton.
Hendrick acquired 31% of the “pioneer” poll votes. Bob Welborn completed second.
Gant raced into his 50s, and nonetheless holds premier sequence data for oldest driver to win a race (52 years previous) and a pole (54). He drove the primary race automobile with a telemetry system put in in it at Talladega in 1985 and relayed the information to CBS throughout its protection of the occasion.
This was the Gant’s seventh time on the poll. He didn’t attend the announcement ceremony on Tuesday and was not accessible for remark.
All three have been amongst NASCAR’s 75 Biggest Drivers and one in every of NASCAR Modified’s All-Time Prime 10 Drivers.
Wheeler grew to become synonymous with promotion and innovation.
He spent 33 years because the president and common supervisor of Charlotte Motor Speedway and performed a pivotal function in reworking the venue right into a world-class facility.
Wheeler added a brand new dynamic to the game, a visionary whose management and creativity helped form at this time’s fan expertise with the introduction of dramatic prerace ceremonies and the event of evening racing at superspeedways.
He was recognized for his modern promotions and stunts.
