{"id":55884,"date":"2026-01-23T20:45:40","date_gmt":"2026-01-24T02:45:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racedaysa.com\/?p=55884"},"modified":"2026-01-28T19:34:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-29T01:34:26","slug":"kurt-busch-harry-gant-ray-hendrick-inducted-into-nascar-hall-of-fame","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/23\/kurt-busch-harry-gant-ray-hendrick-inducted-into-nascar-hall-of-fame\/","title":{"rendered":"Kurt Busch, Harry Gant, Ray Hendrick inducted into NASCAR Hall of Fame"},"content":{"rendered":"
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2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees Kurt Busch, the grandsons of Ray Hendrick and Harry Gant pose with NASCAR Hall of Famers during the NHOF Class of 2026 Blue Jacket Ceremony at NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 22, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n

By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service<\/em><\/p>\n

CHARLOTTE, N.C. \u2014 From blue collar to blue jacket.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a turn of phrase coined by Kurt Busch, but it could apply equally to the three newest inductees to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n

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NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell (R) presents the blue jacket to 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Busch during the NHOF Class of 2026 Blue Jacket Ceremony at NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 22, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Drivers Busch, Harry Gant and the late Ray Hendrick, all of whom emerged from relative obscurity to reach the pinnacle of their profession, entered the Hall as the Class of 2026 during Friday night\u2019s induction ceremonies at the Charlotte Convention Center.<\/p>\n

Busch and Gant were elected via the Modern Era Ballot by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel. Hendrick was chosen from five Pioneer Ballot nominees.<\/p>\n

Also honored on Friday were legendary promoter H.A. \u201cHumpy\u201d Wheeler with the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR and veteran reporter Deb Williams with the Squier-Hall Award for Media Excellence.<\/p>\n

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2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Busch poses for photos during the NHOF Class of 2026 Blue Jacket Ceremony at NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 22, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cFrom blue collar to blue jacket\u201d\u2014the blazer awarded to each inductee into the Hall of Fame\u2014was Busch\u2019s description at a pre-induction party of his meteoric journey from a hobby racer who worked on his father\u2019s cars in his native Las Vegas to a championship in the NASCAR Cup Series, stock car racing\u2019s foremost division.<\/p>\n

After winning the Southwest Tour championship in 1999, Busch graduated to the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series through team owner Jack Roush\u2019s \u201cGong Show\u201d audition for prospective drivers.<\/p>\n

In 2000, his only full season in trucks, Busch won four times, claimed Rookie of the Year honors and finished second in the series standings behind teammate Greg Biffle. By mid-season, Roush already had earmarked him for a full-time Cup Series ride.<\/p>\n

Busch struggled during first season and finished 27th in the standings, but a year later he rocketed to third in the final rankings after winning at Bristol, Martinsville, Atlanta and Homestead-Miami.<\/p>\n

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2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Kurt Busch and guest pose for photos during the NHOF Class of 2026 Blue Jacket Ceremony at NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 22, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Two years later, Busch won the first Cup championship contested under the 10-race Chase format, despite a freak occurrence in the decisive season finale at Homestead, when his right front tire broke loose from his No. 97 Ford as the car approached pit road.<\/p>\n

Busch rallied to finish fifth and wrapped the title by eight points over NASCAR Hall of Famer Jimmie Johnson.<\/p>\n

Busch, 47, went on win 34 Cup Series events, tied with Martin Truex Jr. for 26th all-time. His resume includes a victory in the 2017 Daytona 500 and a rare sweep of the NASCAR All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 2010.<\/p>\n

The final inductee of the evening, Busch received his Hall of Fame ring from brother Kyle Busch. With 97 victories between them, Kurt and Kyle boast more Cup victories than any other pair of brothers in NASCAR history.<\/p>\n

\u201cTo be here with the alumni of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, NASCAR executives, the voting panel, team owners, sponsors, my family and friends, and the thousands of fans who are watching tonight, this is something I never could have imagined,\u201d Kurt Busch said.<\/p>\n

Busch offered special thanks for the support of his parents, Tom and Gaye Busch, and those who encouraged him during his early racing days.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was just a blue-collar kid from Las Vegas, with a dream to be a racer,\u201d Busch said. \u201cThank you, Mom and Dad, for all the support through the years. The work ethic that you instilled in me, and the village of people around me in Las Vegas\u2026 you guys were always there to help me out, both on and off the track. Love ya.\u201d<\/p>\n

Busch scored his last Cup victory at Kansas Speedway in 2022 in a 23XI Racing Toyota Camry, making him the only driver to win at NASCAR\u2019s highest level for four different manufacturers\u2014Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge and Toyota.<\/p>\n

Busch\u2019s versatility as a driver was on full display in 2014, when he finished sixth in a one-off appearance in the Indianapolis 500 before flying to Charlotte to compete in the Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.<\/p>\n

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NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees Harry Gant and wife Peggy Gant pose for photos during the NHOF Class of 2026 Blue Jacket Ceremony at NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 22, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Like Busch, Gant got his start racing hobby cars, in his case on the old dirt track at Hickory Motor Speedway.<\/p>\n

Unlike Busch, Gant got a late start in NASCAR\u2019s premier division, running his first Cup race for owner Junie Donlavey in 1973 at age 33. It wasn\u2019t until 1979 that Gant decided to sell his construction business and commit to NASCAR racing full-time.<\/p>\n

Gant holds two \u201cage\u201d records in NASCAR\u2019s top division. He is the oldest driver ever to win a Cup race, a feat he accomplished at age 52 years, 219 days on Aug. 16,1992 at Michigan. Gant also is the oldest driver to win his first Cup race; he was 42 years, 105 days old when he took his first checkered flag on April 25, 1982 at Martinsville.<\/p>\n

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2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Harry Gant poses for photos during the NHOF Class of 2026 Blue Jacket Ceremony at NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 22, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Gant is most famous, however, for the streak that earned him the nickname \u201cMr. September.\u201d Driving the No. 33 Skoal Bandit, which carried him to all 18 of his Cup victories, Gant won consecutive races at Darlington, Richmond, Dover and Martinsville in September of 1991.<\/p>\n

In addition to his success in NASCAR\u2019s premier division, Gant also won 21 events in what is now the NASCAR O\u2019Reilly Auto Parts Series.<\/p>\n

For his accomplishments, Gant was named one of NASCAR\u2019s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you to NASCAR, and the France family, for giving us a Hall of Fame like this and giving us a place to make a living,\u201d Gant said after receiving his Hall of Fame ring from Kyle Petty.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd thank you to the fans. I owe this to them. I hear from a lot of fans that they voted for me for the Hall of Fame. I thought I\u2019d get in eventually, but I\u2019m proud of everybody that voted for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

A prolific racer and prolific winner, Ray Hendrick was a driver who would compete \u201canywhere and everywhere\u201d\u2014everywhere, that is, where there was prize money at stake.<\/p>\n

In a career that spanned nearly 40 years, Hendrick won 44.4 percent of his starts and finished in the top-five in four of every five races he entered. At the conclusion of his career in the late 1980s, Hendrick had more than 700 wins to his credit in modified and late model sportsman divisions, having earned the moniker \u201cMr. Modified.\u201d<\/p>\n

Winner of 20 races at Martinsville alone\u2014including a sweep of a modified and late model sportsman event on the same day\u2014the Richmond, Va., native, named one of NASCAR\u2019s 75 Greatest Drivers, succumbed to cancer in 1990 at age 61.<\/p>\n

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A general view of the NHOF blue jackets presented to the 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees Kurt Busch, Ray Hendrick and Harry Gant during the NHOF Class of 2026 Blue Jacket Ceremony at NASCAR Hall of Fame on January 22, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Though Ray Hendrick and NASCAR Hall of Fame car owner Rick Hendrick are not related by blood, Rick Hendrick was inspired as a teenager in the 1960s while watching Ray Hendrick\u2019s \u201cFlying 11\u201d modified car dominate races in Virginia.<\/p>\n

\u201cOn behalf of the Hendrick family, we are proud to be here tonight to honor our father, \u2018Mr. Modified\u2019 Ray Hendrick,\u201d said Ronnie Hendrick, Ray Hendrick\u2019s son, after receiving the Hall of Fame ring from the inductee\u2019s grandsons, Chuck Hendrick and Ray Hendrick III.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would like to thank NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame and everybody who voted to have him inducted into the Hall of Fame tonight. We also want to thank all of the fans for their support.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not so sure Ray realized just how many fans he had throughout the years. If our dad was here tonight, he would be so honored and thankful to be recognized among so many other great drivers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wheeler, who passed away last year at age 86, was NASCAR\u2019s first great impresario, a reputation he earned during his 33-year tenure as president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway.<\/p>\n

Wheeler\u2019s bold, innovative and often outlandish stunts highlighted the races he promoted, notably the Coca-Cola 600 on Memorial Day weekend, which often featured armed forces maneuvers rife with explosions in the Charlotte infield.<\/p>\n

It was Wheeler\u2019s brainchild to bring Janet Guthrie to compete in the 1976 Coke 600 after she failed to qualify for the Indianapolis 500, and it was his vision to light the 1.5-mile track.<\/p>\n

Wheeler\u2019s daughters Patti Wheeler and Tracy Hardy accepted the award during Friday night\u2019s ceremonies.<\/p>\n

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Veteran motorsports reporter Deb Williams, the 2026 Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence poses with her Hall of Honor exhibition prior to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at Charlotte Convention Center on January 23, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by David Jensen\/Getty Images)<\/p><\/div>\n

Williams, a pioneering journalist in a field that had been dominated by men, is the 14th winner of the Squier-Hall Award, named for broadcasters Ken Squier and Barney Hall.<\/p>\n

Williams began her career at United Press International (UPI) as one of the first female NASCAR reporters and spent 18 years with Winston Cup Scene\u201410 of those as editor of the definitive racing magazine.<\/p>\n

Citing the contributions of Squier and Hall, Williams said, \u201cTo me, this award is the Mt. Everest of Motorsports journalism awards. So, to receive this award tonight means I have reached the top of Mt. Everest in my profession.\u201d<\/p>\n

During the ceremony, NASCAR Hall of Fame executive director Winston Kelley also recognized 1960 NASCAR Cup champion Rex White and veteran driver Greg Biffle, who died in 2025.<\/p>\n

Biffle, who was killed in a private plane crash along with his wife and two children, is the recipient of the NMPA Myers Brothers Award and the inaugural North Carolina Motorsports Association\u2019s philanthropy award.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

  By Reid Spencer, NASCAR Wire Service CHARLOTTE, N.C. \u2014 From blue collar to blue jacket. That\u2019s a turn of phrase coined by Kurt Busch, but it could apply equally to the three newest inductees to the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Drivers Busch, Harry Gant and the late Ray Hendrick, all of whom emerged from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":676,"featured_media":55893,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11],"tags":[16],"class_list":["post-55884","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nascar","tag-nascar"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racedaysa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/GettyImages-2257703102-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1707","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7hzTZ-exm","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55884","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/676"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=55884"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55884\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55900,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/55884\/revisions\/55900"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/55893"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=55884"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=55884"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/racedaysa.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=55884"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}