The NASCAR industry gathered in Charlotte, NC on Friday night, January 23 to honor the three inductees into its Hall of Fame.
Kurt Busch, Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick (posthumously), headlined the Class of 2026. All were outstanding drivers in their respective divisions in different eras. Also honored was pioneer journalist Deb Williams, who received the coveted Squire Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.
The festivities started on Thursday with a Jacket Ceremony where Busch and Gant received their logoed-blue NASCAR Hall of Fame blazers. Hendrick’s family was given his in a glass enclosed frame. Also attending the event were past NHoF inductees wearing the jackets they received at their respective inductions.
Busch Took a Winding Way to Hall
Kurt Busch raced his fellow drivers’ side-by-side, tough as nails and took no guff no matter how experienced the other competitor may have been. He’d make news racing his way to Victory Lane to pointing at his butt on the hallowed grounds of Michigan Speedway to holding Daytona 500 and NCS Championship trophies.
He did it with rarely an apology. But, as the years and laps ticked on the Bad Boy Busch became Big Brother Busch. Winning his final race for 23XI at Kansas Speedway in 2022, a team he was brought on board to help mentor its younger drivers.
“When I was young, I was taking things for granted,” Busch reflected. “Winning like I did in my second NCS season with Jimmy Fenning (Roush Racing) and earning 11 races in three seasons. I was winning too often and I was getting in trouble. But, I would get in trouble and then back it up with a win.
“I get in that deal with Jimmy Spencer at Michigan, then I go and win the Bristol night race. I never heard so many fans booing in my life. It was like, ‘damn, I’ve done something wrong.’
“That 2004 season, I put the blinders on and was pretty rough to a lot of reporters and photographers. But, I did my thing and won a championship.
“With Team Penske, I thought I needed to be a white collar guy. But, all during my speech you can tell I’m really a blue collar guy. Racing with James Finch was my kind of peeps. Racing with Barney Visser, then Stewart Haas was what I needed.
“I needed to find myself. On the way, I wanted to give back to people because people gave so much helping me in the beginning. Life changes and you learn things, you learn compassion and you learn respect.”
Busch now finds himself in the NHoF with 34 NCS wins, the 2014 Championship, 2017 Daytona 500 Champion, 2003 IROC Champion and 2014 Indianapolis Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. In addition, he was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers.
Handsome Harry No More
Gant got a late start in his NASCAR career in 1973 at the age of 33 racing for Junie Donlavey. From there, the native of Taylorsville, NC would compete part time until going full time in 1979. His first of 18 victories took place in 1982 for the Hollywood connected owner Hal Needham.
He was known as “Mr. September” and “Handsome Harry” and even “The Bandit” because of his long-time sponsorship with Skoal Tobacco products driving the No 33 car. The one achievement remembered best was his record-setting streak of four-consecutive wins in September of 1991.
“I raced with a lot of great people in my career and was able to win a lot of races,” Gant said after the ceremony. “This has been great being voted into the Hall of Fame. I’ve gotten a lot of calls from people congratulating me and others telling they voted me into the Hall.”
Now, he can add “Hall of Fame Harry” to his list of monikers.
Ray Raced his Way in as Mr. Modified
Hendrick set the short track world on its ear traveling the East Coast and Southern tracks in his famous red Flying No. 11 with a fireball around the numbers. He raced like he lived, determined.
Credited with “700 victories” at all sizes of tracks, Hendrick said “second was the first loser” when he didn’t win. He competed 17 times in the NCS without earning a win. None the less, it was his prowess on the short tracks that left his competitors in awe of his winning ability.
Passing away in 1990, Hendrick’s son and grandsons represented him at the induction.
NASCAR Honors Class of 2026 Inductees