The NASCAR Hall of Fame has welcomed three new members at a ceremony in Charlotte, North Carolina. Kurt Busch, Harry Gant, and Ray Hendrick are forever immortalized inside the hallowed halls.
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Busch, the 2004 Cup Series champion, joined the legends of the sport as he donned his blue jacket. Two-time champion Kyle Busch took the stage so that he could induct his brother into the Hall of Fame and hand over the signature ring.
It takes a Hall of Fame family to raise a Hall of Fame racer. pic.twitter.com/CZ8Buux5RG
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) January 24, 2026
Gant, also known as Mr. September, received his Hall of Fame ring from close friend, Kyle Petty.
Hendrick was inducted into the Hall of Fame posthumously by his son and two of his grandsons. Mr. Modified passed away in 1990 at the age of 61.
The Charlotte ceremony also highlighted two other important members of the racing industry with special awards.
Veteran media member Deb Williams received the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. She will forever have a display inside the Hall.
She has been a leading voice in NASCAR journalism for more than four decades.
Join us in recognizing @DebWilliams72 as this year's recipient of the Squier-Hall Award. pic.twitter.com/TPf6rnDXRp
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) January 24, 2026
Humpy Wheeler, the former president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, received the Landmark Award for contributions to the growth and esteem of NASCAR.
Wheeler spent 33 years in his role at NASCAR's home track, and he became famous for unique promotional events. He also played a significant role in the development of night races at superspeedways.
Wheeler passed away in August at the age of 86, approximately three months after learning that he would receive the Landmark Award.
Hendrick, one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers, achieved immense success behind the wheel. He piled up more than 700 modified and late model sportsman wins between 1950-1988, and he won five track championships at South Boston Speedway.
Gant never won a Cup Series championship, but he achieved success in two of the national NASCAR series. He won 21 races in what is now the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, and he won 18 races in the Cup Series. This includes two Southern 500s.
Gant finished top four in the championship standings in six seasons (1981-82, 1984-85, 1991-92). He also won four consecutive races in 1991 at the age of 51.
Busch, a blue collar kid from Las Vegas, enjoyed a meteoric rise through the ranks after joining team owner Jack Roush. He won four races as a rookie in the Truck Series in 2000, and he finished second in the standings behind teammate Greg Biffle.
One year later, Busch was competing full-time in the Cup Series. By 2002, he was winning races for Roush. He won the championship in 2004, his third consecutive season with at least three wins.
The Las Vegas native did not have the smoothest career due to a variety of reasons, some self-inflicted, but he developed a reputation for making every team better. He nearly even won a race at Sonoma while driving for the underfunded Phoenix Racing.
He made 776 starts while driving for Roush, Roger Penske, Phoenix Racing, Furniture Row Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, Chip Ganassi Racing, and 23XI Racing. He won 34 races at the Cup level, five in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, and four in the Truck Series.
