NBC Sports Digital's ballots for the 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame
NBC Sports motorsports writers Dustin Long and Nate Ryan cast ballots Tuesday for the NASCAR Hall of Fame as part of a 48-member voting panel.
After being part of the voting panel for the first six classes, Long returns this year. It's the 16th consecutive class voted on by Ryan since the first for 2010. There was no vote held in 2021 because the induction of the class that was selected in voting June 9, 2020, had its induction delayed until January 2022.
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The NASCAR Hall of Fame induction process is on its second iteration. From 2010-20, the five highest vote-getters annually were inducted from a list of 20 to 25 nominees.
For the past four votes. the ballot has consisted of two categories: Modern Era (10 nominees) and Pioneer (five nominees). Two inductees are chosen from the Modern Era ballot and one from Pioneer (members of the voting panel each vote for two Modern Era candidates and one Pioneer candidate).
Here are the ballots of Long and Ryan for the 16th class:
Dustin Long's ballot
MODERN ERA: 1. Jeff Burton. So highly regarded as a driver that he was looked to have been the hand-picked successor to Dale Earnhardt in the No. 3 car upon Earnhardt's retirement. That speaks volumes. Burton's work with safety has spanned 25 years and played a key role in protecting drivers. His role on behalf of drivers has proved invaluable for competitors. He continues to make an impact in the sport in those roles and also as an analyst for NBC Sports.
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2. Kurt Busch. The 2004 Cup champion won 34 races, including a Daytona 500 and a Coca-Cola 600. He won at least one race for 10 consecutive years and had another streak of nine consecutive seasons with at least a win before a concussion forced him to retire.
PIONEER: Jake Elder. Known as "Suitcase Jake" for moving around often, he still had some of the best drivers in motorsports drive for him and win with him. He was the crew chief for David Pearson when Pearson won championships in 1968 and '69. He also was the crew chief for Dale Earnhardt for the first 13 races in 1980, the first season Earnhardt won the title. Mario Andretti won the 1967 Daytona 500 with Elder as his crew chief.
LANDMARK AWARD: Humpy Wheeler. The P.T. Barnum of the sport was more than pizzaz. While he created many sideshows to attract fans to Charlotte Motor Speedway as the track's president and general manager, he also provided counsel to many drivers through the years. Many who worked for him later went on to manage and promote other tracks, playing a pivotal role in the sport, particularly during its boom time in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Nate Ryan's ballot
MODERN ERA: 1. Jeff Burton. 'The Mayor' claims two Coca-Cola 600 victories among his 21 Cup wins across 21 seasons, but his greatest contributions have been as a hugely important voice within the NASCAR industry. For the past decade, the South Boston, Virginia, native has been among the lead analysts for NBC Sports, and he also has been an important confidant and consultant for today's stars as the director of the NASCAR Driver Advisory Council. Burton also was instrumental in helping push for safety advancements, particularly in the cockpit area.
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2. Kurt Busch. The 2004 Cup Series champion counts the 2017 Daytona 500 among his 34 career victories. His title came in the first year of the Chase for the Nextel Cup that would evolve into the current playoff system. Busch finished in the top 10 of the points standings 10 times, and his fiery side sometimes got him sideways with other drivers, media members and NASCAR officials. But at 23XI Racing and Chip Ganassi Racing, he became known for his veteran leadership late in his career, which unfortunately was cut short by a head injury sustained in a crash at Pocono Raceway.
PIONEER: Banjo Matthews. One of the greatest car builders in NASCAR history, his cars won 262 of the 362 Cup races from 1974-85, including all 30 races during the 1978 season that marked the third consecutive championship for a Matthews-built car. Known as 'the Henry Ford of race cars,' he also served as a mentor to some great crew chiefs and mechanics, such as NASCAR Hall o Famer Ray Evernham.
LANDMARK AWARD: Humpy Wheeler. A flamboyant showman as the president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, Wheeler is one of the greatest promoters in NASCAR and racing history. He is credited with bringing Janet Guthrie into stock-car racing (leveraging her ability to sell tickets for the Coca-Cola 600 against the Indy 500). He also was a mentor to many NASCAR stars and a friend to the media, which appreciated his amusing and pithy quotes that filled in his savvy big-picture vision. The late sportswriter David Poole once referred to Wheelers as "NASCAR's Yoda" for his boundless wisdom.
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Long's previous NASCAR Hall of Fame ballots
2010: Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, David Pearson, Bill France Sr.
2011: Pearson, Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Dale Inman
2012: Waltrip, Yarborough, Inman, Richie Evans, Herb Thomas
2013: Thomas, Cotton Owens, Leonard Wood, Wendell Scott, Rick Hendrick
2014: Fireball Roberts, Dale Jarrett, Hendrick, Tim Flock, Joe Weatherly
2015: Bill Elliott, Scott, Weatherly, Hendrick, Terry Labonte
Ryan's previous NASCAR Hall of Fame ballots
2010: Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, Junior Johnson, David Pearson, Bill France Jr.
2011: Pearson, Darrell Waltrip, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, Lee Petty
2012: Waltrip, Yarborough, Dale Inman, Raymond Parks, Curtis Turner
2013: Fireball Roberts, Turner, Fred Lorenzen, Herb Thomas, Tim Flock
2014: Roberts, Turner, Lorenzen, Flock, Joe Weatherly
2015: Lorenzen, Turner, Weatherly, O. Bruton Smith, Rick Hendrick
2016: Turner, Smith, Hendrick, Ray Evernham, Bobby Isaac
2017: Hendrick, Evernham, Benny Parsons, Parks, Red Byron
2018: Evernham, Byron, Robert Yates, Alan Kulwicki, Buddy Baker
2019: Jeff Gordon, Kulwicki, Baker, Davey Allison, Jack Roush
2020: Tony Stewart, Baker, Waddell Wilson, Joe Gibbs
2022: Kirk Shelmerdine, Dale Jr. (Modern Era); Jake Elder (Pioneer).
2023: Matt Kenseth, Kirk Shelmerdine (Modern Era); Hershel McGriff (Pioneer).
2024: Jimmie Johnson, Chad Knaus (Modern Era), Banjo Matthews (Pioneer)
2025: Jeff Burton, Ricky Rudd (Modern Era); Banjo Matthews (Pioneer)
LANDMARK
2015: Raymond Parks
2016: Raymond Parks
2017: Raymond Parks
2018: Ralph Seagraves
2019: Jim Hunter
2020: Ralph Seagraves
2022: Janet Guthrie
2023: Janet Guthrie
2024: Dr. Dean Sicking
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