Kurt Busch, Ray Hendrick and Harry Gant voted into NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2026
The Class of 2026 will be inducted into the Hall of Fame at a ceremony in March.
The 46-year-old Busch, a first-ballot selection, held off Jimmie Johnson to win the 2004 Cup Series championship and went on to win 34 Cup races, including at least one in 19 of 21 of his full-time seasons on the premier circuit before retiring in 2023.
Busch said it was extra special to get in on the first ballot.
'I guess it was a matter of not if but when, but I'm very grateful and thankful that it happened this first time,' Busch said.
'You want to have that answer (of whether you got in) as fast as you can.'
His journey to NASCAR stardom began in 2000 with a Truck Series rookie season that foreshadowed greatness. His big breakthrough came in 2004, when he became the first driver to win the title under NASCAR's 'playoff' system – a feat that proved both his excellence and adaptability.
The consistent Busch finished in the top 10 in the Cup Series standings 10 times.
'Things happened fast for me in this sport and I don't know how or why,' Busch said. '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 original 'Mr. Modified.'
He is one of the winningest drivers of all time, with than 700 modified and late model sportsman wins between 1950-88. His success started in his home state of Virginia, where his No. 11 was well know. He won five track championships at South Boston Speedway — four modified and one late model sportsman.
He was known as a driver that was willing to race 'anywhere and everywhere,' and did just that. He filled his schedule with modified and late model sportsman races across the East coast. Hendrick was known best for his wins on short tracks, but also produced victories at Talladega, Charlotte and Dover.
Despite never winning a Modified Division championship, Hendrick finished in the top 10 in the standings nine times from 1960-69.
The 85-year-old Gant, known as the 'Bandit' for his long-time sponsorship with Skoal Bandits, won 18 Cup Series races, including the Southern 500 in 1984 and 1991. In the five seasons from 1981 through 1985, he finished in the top five in points four times, including a runner-up championship finish to Terry Labonte in 1984.
He also won 21 Xfinity Series races.
Gant raced into his 50s, and still holds premier series records for oldest driver to win a race (52 years old) and a pole (54). He drove the first race car with a telemetry system installed in it at Talladega in 1985 and relayed the data to CBS during its coverage of the event.
This was the Gant's seventh time on the ballot. He did not attend announcement ceremony on Tuesday .
All three were among NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers and one of NASCAR Modified's All-Time Top 10 Drivers.
Wheeler became synonymous with promotion and innovation.
Winnipeg Jets Game Days
On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop.
He spent 33 years as the president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway and played a pivotal role in transforming the venue into a world-class facility.
Wheeler added a new dynamic to the sport, a visionary whose leadership and creativity helped shape today's fan experience with the introduction of dramatic prerace ceremonies and the development of night racing at superspeedways.
He was known for his innovative promotions and stunts.
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Star
a minute ago
- Toronto Star
Northwestern reaches settlement with football coach who was fired amid hazing scandal
CHICAGO (AP) — Northwestern University has reached a settlement with former longtime football coach Pat Fitzgerald two years after he sued the prestigious school amid a team hazing scandal, attorneys and the school announced Thursday. 'Though I maintain Northwestern had no legal basis to terminate my employment for cause under the terms of my Employment Agreement, in the interest of resolving this matter and, in particular, to relieve my family from the stress of ongoing litigation, Northwestern and I have agreed to a settlement,' Fitzgerald said in a statement through his attorneys.
Winnipeg Free Press
a minute ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Matthew Stafford participates in full week of Rams practice, and his injured back feels much better
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matthew Stafford has completed his first full week of practice since the start of training camp, and the Los Angeles Rams ' starting quarterback says he is optimistic about the improvement in his injured back. Stafford went through a third full practice Thursday with no restrictions in his movements or throws. Although Stafford and coach Sean McVay didn't definitively state it, Stafford appears to be in position to play for the Rams in their regular-season opener against Houston on Sept. 7. 'Good thing is I feel pretty good the last couple of days out there practicing,' Stafford said at the Rams' training complex in Woodland Hills. 'Was able to do even a little bit more than I thought I was going to be able to do the first day, and then just been trying to stack days.' Stafford said he has done 'everything under the sun' to deal with an irritated disk in his back. The injury developed while he trained after the Rams' minicamp this summer, and it kept the Super Bowl winner sidelined for the first 3 1/2 weeks of training camp and the preseason. Stafford returned to practice Monday initially planning to do only individual drills, but he was pleasantly surprised by his ability to do everything with relative ease. He participated in another full practice Thursday, throwing to his teammates against a live pass rush while building the chemistry necessary to compete in the regular season, particularly with new receiver Davante Adams. 'I definitely felt more like myself out there today,' Stafford said. 'I'm going to do everything I can to be out there while still being smart and knowing, hey, we've got something that deserves a little attention.' McVay was clearly encouraged by Stafford's progress during the week. Stafford participated in every aspect of every practice, the coach said. 'He looks like the stud that we know,' McVay said. 'I think the first day was kind of getting comfortable, just getting his feet wet a little bit, and then I think each of the last couple of days, he's played really fast.' The 37-year-old Stafford's balky back has been one of the Rams' two major injury concerns — along with the blood clots sidelining left tackle Alaric Jackson — as the defending NFC West champions prepare to begin a season with Super Bowl aspirations. Stafford watched training camp from the sideline at Loyola Marymount when he wasn't going through rehab work and off-field treatment. He did individual workouts on the days of the Rams' first two preseason games, but he didn't get back into practice until Monday. 'From what I see, there's no restrictions and he's playing at a really high level,' McVay said. 'I'm very excited and optimistic, but I'm not a doctor.' Even after initially stating that Stafford would only miss the first week of training camp, McVay repeatedly said he thought Stafford's injury wasn't serious enough to keep him out if the Rams had been playing games that counted. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The coach finally seemed less certain of Stafford's sturdiness last week when the quarterback had to scrap his plan to rejoin practices because his back wasn't up to it — only for Stafford to exceed his own expectations in practice this week. 'Backs are sometimes interesting things,' Stafford said. 'It's not cut-and-dried what's what, and how you're going to feel.' Stafford is one of many Rams veterans who won't travel to Cleveland this weekend for their final preseason game. McVay said fourth-stringer Dresser Winn will start against the Browns after Stetson Bennett played well while taking nearly all of the snaps in Los Angeles' first two preseason games. ___ AP NFL:
Winnipeg Free Press
a minute ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Jeff McNeil sits with a sore right shoulder in the latest nagging injury for the Mets
WASHINGTON (AP) — Jeff McNeil has a sore right shoulder, the latest nagging injury for the New York Mets as they try to recover from a late-summer swoon. McNeil was out of the lineup for Thursday's series finale at Washington, with Brett Baty starting at second base. One of the Mets' most consistent hitters, McNeil went 4 for 8 with a homer, two doubles and five RBIs in the previous two games against the Nationals. 'It doesn't bother him to swing the bat. It's just more the throwing,' manager Carlos Mendoza said. The shoulder problem began late last week, Mendoza said, which is why McNeil started at designated hitter on Saturday and Sunday. Brandon Nimmo was also out of the lineup Thursday with the stiff neck that forced him to leave Wednesday night's game in the second inning. Tyrone Taylor started in left field. 'We didn't see much improvement overnight,' Mendoza said of Nimmo. McNeil has experience in left, but the shoulder problem means he's not an option there for now. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. New York's series at Washington began Tuesday with the news that catcher Francisco Alvarez has a sprained ligament in his right thumb that will require surgery. Alvarez is hoping he can play through the pain after a stint on the injured list. Backup catcher Luis Torrens had a rough night Wednesday that included getting hit in his receiving hand by a bat on a catcher's interference play, but Mendoza said Thursday that Torrens was 'fine.' The Mets had a three-game winning streak before Wednesday night's loss, but the team with the biggest payroll in the majors is just 5-15 since July 28. New York entered Thursday trailing Philadelphia by 6 1/2 games in the NL East and was one game ahead of Cincinnati for the final wild-card spot. ___ AP MLB:
