Tag: Harry Gant

CHARLOTTE

NASCAR’s Hall of Fame saw three new additions on Friday night, featuring 2004 Cup Series Champion Kurt Busch, NASCAR’s oldest winner, Harry “Mr. September” Gant, and Pioneer Ray “Mr. Modified” Hendrick.

The trio was honored at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Uptown Charlotte on Friday, featuring a star-studded crowd littered with stock-car racing’s finest.

The 2026 class, the 16th in the Hall of Fame’s history, spans 72 racing years from 1950-2022 and moves the total to 70 in the group.

Meet the trio of 2026 inductees:

Kurt Busch

Busch, 47, was selected to join the Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot. Known for his 2004 Championship — in NASCAR’s first edition of The Chase, a format to which the sport has now returned — Busch’s career spanned over years, culminating in 34 Cup Series victories.

The Las Vegas native and NASCAR Top 75 driver scored his first and only Daytona 500 victory in 2007, nabbing one of the sport’s crown jewels in his first-ever race in the Monster Energy No. 1 car. Known as a fiery driver for much of his career, learning of his induction was humbling.

“It goes with the legends I shared the track with. I fit in as a small member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame,” said Busch. “And the many more that come behind me, I hope that I can influence them. That it can be done from humble beginnings and can still be done after mistakes.”

Busch, six years older than his younger brother Kyle, was captivated by the brotherly aspect of the Hall of Fame, which features his idol growing up, and will soon feature his younger brother.

“Jeff Gordon was my idol. Dale Earnhardt. The Allison brothers, the Labonte brothers, and Kyle (Busch) will be a future Hall of Famer,” Busch told The Observer. “The brotherly aspect resonated really strong when I saw the names on the list.”

Busch won races in 19 of his 21 seasons, including claiming his 34th and final victory in his last year on the track, which he attributed to Michael Jordan giving him a call and extending his career for one final season.

“You race the same way I played basketball,” Jordan told Busch.

Harry Gant

A man with many nicknames, Gant, 86, scored 18 victories at NASCAR’s highest level, including winning a historic four straight races in September 1991, donning the tag of “Mr. September” for the rest of his career.

Gant chased the rookie of the year title in 1979, at 39 years old. The ‘79 class was one of the greatest — if not the greatest — rookie classes in NASCAR history, featuring Dale Earnhardt, Geoff Bodine, Joe Milliken, Terry Labonte, and Gant.

Remembered for his No. 33 Skoal Bandit ride, Gant’s ascension to the Hall of Fame started as a quiet individual from Taylorsville, North Carolina, a carpenter by day and a racer by night.

And despite his 86th birthday passing just two weeks prior, fellow Hall of Famer Dale Jarrett joked that he could get back in the car today and pick right up.

“Four hundred miles or 600 miles, Gant was up for the task,” Jarrett said. “He looks like he could jump right in and go.”

Ray Hendrick

Known for racing anytime, anywhere — and as many as five, even six times a week — Hendrick was chosen from a group of five on the Pioneer ballot. Hendrick, who passed in September 1990, scored more than 700 victories in his illustrious career, making the red Flyin’ 11 famous.

With the nickname “Mr. Modified,” Hendrick (of no relation to Rick Hendrick of Hendrick Motorsports fame) dominated modified and late model sportsman racing spanning nearly 40 years.

Hendrick was tabbed as being mechanically gifted, building and tuning much of his own equipment — and driving it to the front. Short tracks were his preference, but Hendrick scored victories at Dover, Charlotte, and Talladega.

“When that No. 11 rolled in on that trailer, there was a buzz in the stands,” legendary crew chief Ray Evernham said.

Additional awards

Friday night’s ceremony also honored the late Humpy Wheeler with the Landmark Award for outstanding contributions to NASCAR. Wheeler, former President and General Manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, was known for transforming NASCAR from just the horsepower and torque to showmanship and entertainment. Wheeler’s 33-year tenure spearheaded the iconic turn four grandstands and introduced the NASCAR experience, bringing the fans closer to the action. He was “a visionary,” according to Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick.

Longtime motorsports reporter Deb Williams was also honored as the recipient of the 2026 Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. With a career spanning 40 years, Williams earned the respect of her competitors, those in the garage, and those at the controls of the sport.