The NASCAR Hall of Fame will welcome three new members after a star-studded panel spent significant time debating the names on the ballot.
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Kevin Harvick and "The Mayor" Jeff Burton will make up the Modern Era class of 2027. Larry Phillips will be the Pioneer Era's newest addition to the Hall of Fame.
Harvick was the "no-brainer" first ballot selection in this class based on his accomplishments across multiple NASCAR series. After all, he is a racer who won championships in two of the national NASCAR series, as well as more than 100 combined races across the three series.
He ended his career with the 10th most wins in Cup Series history (60), but Denny Hamlin has since passed him. Now, he is 11th all-time with all active drivers at least 23 wins behind him.
Harvick posted eight Cup Series seasons with at least four wins, he won the 2014 championship, and he finished third or better in the championship standings in eight separate seasons.
You can call him Happy. You can call him The Closer.
No matter what, we will call @KevinHarvick a NASCAR Hall of Famer. pic.twitter.com/FtpCdQWzu5
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 19, 2026
He is also a two-time O'Reilly Auto Parts Series champion (2001, 2006) with 47 wins in the secondary series. Harvick never competed full-time in the Craftsman Truck Series, but he won 14 of the 124 races in which he competed. He won two championships as a Truck Series owner with Ron Hornaday Jr.
Burton has come close to being inducted into the Hall of Fame multiple times, but he finally earned his spot in 2026 due to his production on the track and his impact on the sport away from it.
Burton won 27 races in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and 21 races in the NASCAR Cup Series. This includes the Coca-Cola 600 crown jewel race two times and the Southern 500 crown jewel race one time. Burton also bears the distinction of leading all 300 laps in the 2000 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The Mayor is now a NASCAR Hall of Famer. @JeffBurton has been named a Forever Legend. pic.twitter.com/9uZ1I61JyX
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 19, 2026
Of course, Burton has continued to make an impact on the sport since retiring. He has been an advocate for safety, and he has been a prominent member of the NASCAR Driver Advisory Council.
He served as the executive director for many years while providing insight and serving as the calm voice in the room. He stepped away from this role ahead of the 2026 season but remained an advisor.
Phillips, one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers, only competed in one premier series event, but he delivered consistent production in an underrated series. After all, he won the 1989, 1991, 1992, 1995, and 1996 national championships in the Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series.
Additionally, officials noted that Phillips won 226 of his 308 NASCAR-sanctioned starts. This gave him a winning percentage of .734. He won 13 track championships spread across three states during his racing career.
Phillips passed away in 2004 at the age of 62, but his impact will be immortalized within the walls of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
He raced here, there and everywhere on dirt and asphalt.
Larry Phillips is elected to the #NASCARHOF! pic.twitter.com/dJBJPjFtWo
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) May 19, 2026
The winner of the Landmark Award, which honors someone who made significant contributions to the sport of NASCAR, goes to Lesa France Kennedy. Her contributions include the creation of Daytona Rising and the improvements to Phoenix Raceway. She also spearheaded the building of Kansas Speedway.
The members of the 2027 Hall of Fame class will officially don their blue jackets ahead of the 2027 Cup Series season. The official date of the ceremony is Jan. 22, 2027.
