Kurt Busch breaks silence on NASCAR Hall of Fame nomination

2004 Cup Series champion Kurt Busch was overwhelmed after being nominated for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Kurt Busch breaks silence on NASCAR Hall of Fame nomination

Kurt Busch (via Reuters)

NASCAR will soon add three names to its prestigious Hall of Fame. The sport has listed 15 nominees that will make up the 2026 class. 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kurt Busch is one of the names. The 46-year-old has now responded to the possibility of being added to the iconic club.

Busch reacted with humility in a post on social media. The NASCAR veteran claimed that he was grateful to be nominated by the sport for the Hall of Fame. The 46-year-old, who has not raced in NASCAR since 2022 after suffering concussion-like symptoms in a qualifying crash at Pocono in 2022, was glad to be recognized at the sport’s top level. He thanked his family, race teams and fans for supporting him throughout his career.

I am very grateful to be nominated for NASCAR’s Hall of Fame. It’s an honor to be recognized at this top level. Thank you to NASCAR, my race teams, my family and to the race fans.

Kurt Busch wrote on X.

Kurt Busch was a household name in NASCAR for over two decades, having raced in 776 Cup Series races between 2000 and 2002. Busch amassed a total of 34 victories over the course of his long and illustrious career. He even won the iconic Daytona 500 in 2017. His last victory came in Kansas in 2022, just a couple of months before the Pocono crash. The 46-year-old even won several races in the Xfinity and Truck Series.

Who else are nominated for NASCAR Hall of Fame?

Apart from Kurt Busch, NASCAR has nominated multiple stars for the class of 2026. Randy LaJoie, the two-time Xfinity Series champion will join Busch in the Modern Era Ballot. Returning nominees on the Modern Era Ballot include Greg Biffle, Neil Bonnett, Tim Brewer, Jeff Burton, Randy Dorton, Harry Gant, Harry Hyde and Jack Sprague.

NASCAR
NASCAR Hall of Fame , Charlotte, North Carolina

Title-winning crew chief Jake Elder has been added to the Pioneer Ballot as part of the five nominees whose careers began 60 or more years ago. Elder, who earned the nickname, “Suitcase Jack,” has a stellar career in the sport, with three Cup Series championships and 44 wins.

He played a pivotal role in helping several drivers in the field over the course of his career. Jake Elder joins four returning nominees from last year in the Pioneer Ballot, Ray Hendrick, Banjo Matthews, Larry Phillips, and Bob Welborn.

Fans can vote online for the NASCAR Hall of Fame till May 18 at noon Eastern Time. While the panel convenes two days later in Charlotte for Voting Day. The collective fan vote will be taken as one alongside the votes by the panel.