NASCAR revealed its nominees for the 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame class and the most noable new additions to consider are 2004 Cup Series champion Kurt Busch and two-time Xfinity Series champion Randy Lajoie.
Busch raced over 20 years at the highest level before his career was cut short due to a concussion suffered during a crash in qualifying at Pocono in 2022, attributed to the stiffness of the original NextGen car design. Kurt, alongside brother Kyle Busch, are the winningest siblings in the history of the sport.
Lajoie has 15 wins and nine poles alongside his two championships but may be just as celebrated for his work towards safety initiatives in the years since. His company ‘The Safer Racer’ seeks to make racers at every level safer from injury and harm.
From that standpoint, it’s fitting that Busch and Lajoie would join the process together. Lajoie is the father of current Cup Series driver and TV analyst Corey.
Busch had 34 wins and 28 poles in his career at the highest level.
Modern Era Ballot: Greg Biffle, Neil Bonnett, Tim Brewer, Jeff Burton, Kurt Busch, Randy Dorton, Harry Gant, Harry Hyde, Randy LaJoie, and Jack Sprague
Pioneer Ballot: Jake Elder, Ray Hendrick, Banjo Matthews, Larry Phillips, and Bob Welborn
Landmark Award: Alvin Hawkins, Lesa France Kennedy, Dr. Jospeh Mattioli, Les Richter, and Humpy Wheeler
The nominees will be voted upon by select industry mainstays that includes drivers, executives and media members. The formula also includes the results of a fan vote.
NASCAR Hall of Fame voters will meet May 20 to select two Modern Era nominees and one from the Pioneer Era to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2026. The Landmark Award, which honors those who have made significant contributions to NASCAR, also will be selected that day.
