The hottest news to come out of Charlotte this week centered around the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The Class of 2026 was announced and included Kurt Busch, Ray Hendrick, and Harry Gant. One key person who was in contention to be inducted but lost out was Greg Biffle. While some may consider him to be a more deserving candidate than Busch, former driver Kyle Petty doesn’t believe so.
Advertisement
Even before the formal results were announced, Petty appeared on Fast Talk and made a strong case for why Busch deserves to be in the hall ahead of Biffle. He pointed out that the induction into the hall should be based on what one did on the track. Busch won the 2004 Cup Series championship and that’s enough reason for him to be there.
Biffle’s proponents, however, support him for another cause. He was instrumental in helping the Western North Carolina community recover from the impact of Hurricane Helene. He received widespread recognition and praise for the same.
But from Petty’s point of view, as admirable as his work may be, his off-track goodwill shouldn’t be the core basis on which he gets into the hall. Notably, Biffle never became a Cup Series champion in his time behind the wheel.
Petty said, “I want to go back to Harry Hyde. I want to go back to Randy Dorton. I want to go back to guys like that who changed the sport… There’s guys like that that continue to have a lasting effect on the sport itself and on the guys we see on the racetrack. So, I think Biffle is well deserving. I don’t think this year, against this class though.” His words were proved to be right in the aftermath of the results.
Petty’s opinion approved by the voting panel
The results of the Modern Era Ballot and the Pioneer Ballot were both unveiled on Tuesday. Busch and Gant received 61% of the Modern Era Ballot votes. Jeff Burton finished in third place followed by Randy Dorton and Harry Hyde. Hendrick received 31% of the Pioneer Ballot votes. Bob Welborn finished second to him.
Petty was all praise for Busch in an announcement video released by NASCAR. He said of the former champion, “When you look at it, he could evaluate a team. Evaluate a car and move it to a different level. He was the kind of driver who could elevate a team on any given Sunday.”
“We all go crazy inside our helmets sometimes and scream at everybody. But when Kurt was doing that, he was moving the ball forward. He was helping the team make things better.” The formal induction ceremony will be held in January 2026. Hopefully, Biffle will make it there in the coming years.
