NASCAR announced today the inductees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2027. The three-person group – the 17th since the NASCAR Hall of Fame was established in 2010 – includes Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton, and Larry Phillips. In addition, Lesa France Kennedy received the Landmark Award for exceptional contributions to NASCAR.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel met today in a closed session at the Charlotte Convention Center to consider and vote on the 15 candidates for the induction class of 2027 and the five candidates for the Landmark Award.
The Class of 2027 was chosen by ballots cast by the Voting Panel, which included representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, racers (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders, a national fan vote conducted on NASCAR. com, and the current NASCAR Cup Series champion (Kyle Larson). A total of 50 votes were cast. The votes were tallied by the accounting business PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
Harvick earned 92% of the Modern Era ballot votes, while Burton received 32%. Neil Bonnett finished third, followed by Randy Dorton and Greg Biffle. Larry Phillips earned 38% of the pioneer ballot votes.
The NASCAR. com Fan Vote results were Harry Hyde (Pioneer), Greg Biffle, and Kevin Harvick (Modern Era).
The two Modern Era inductees were chosen from a pool of ten nominees that included: Greg Biffle, Neil Bonnett, Tim Brewer, Jeff Burton, Randy Dorton, Ray Elder, Ernie Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Randy LaJoie, and Jack Sprague.
The Pioneer Ballot nominees were: Ray Fox, Harry Hyde, Banjo Matthews, Herb Nab, and Larry Phillips.
Alvin Hawkins, Lesa France Kennedy, Dr. Joseph Mattioli, Les Richter, and T. Wayne Robertson were nominated for the Landmark Award.
Ten candidates were included on the modern era ballot, which was chosen by the traditional Nominating Committee. The five Landmark Award finalists were chosen by the same committee. The Honors Committee picked the Pioneer ballot, which featured five candidates whose careers began in 1966 or before.
The Class of 2027 Induction Ceremony will be held on Friday, January 22, 2027, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Tickets for the Induction Ceremony will be accessible beginning June 10 at NASCARHall. com.
Class of 2027 Inductees:
Kevin Harvick.
Kevin Harvick’s ascent to NASCAR stardom occurred under exceptional circumstances in 2001, when he was called upon to take Dale Earnhardt’s position following his tragic death. Harvick won an emotional race at Atlanta Motor Speedway after only three races into his rookie season, earning him the 2001 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year title and indicating the emergence of a new star in the sport. Known as “The Closer,” he demonstrated the ability to win anywhere, including his 2007 Daytona 500 victory. Harvick dominated NASCAR’s brand-new elimination-style playoff in 2014, answering every must-win scenario to win the Cup Series championship and secure his position among the sport’s finest. Harvick had 60 wins in 826 starts, placing him 11th among Cup Series victors. After retiring from full-time racing, he moved into broadcasting, working as a NASCAR analyst for Cup Series events on FOX Sports.
Jeff Burton
NASCAR’s “Mayor”. Jeff Burton got the moniker due to his insightful opinions on topics that influence the sport’s well-being and safety. But it was his on-track performance that propelled his 22-year Cup Series career. The 1994 Cup Series Rookie of the Year spent the first part of his career at Roush Fenway Racing, where he had the most success. His first Cup triumph came at Texas Motor Speedway in 1997, during the track’s inaugural race. Burton would win 17 races over the next five years, finishing in the top five in the standings four times. In 1999, he won a career-high six races, including two of the sport’s crown jewel events: the Coca Cola 600 and Southern 500. Burton ended his career with 21 Cup victories and 27 O’Reilly Series wins, making him one of just ten drivers to achieve at least 20 victories in both series. Since 2015, Burton has worked as an analyst for NBC Sports’ NASCAR coverage.
Larry Phillips.
The story of Missouri’s Larry Phillips cannot be told just on the basis of victories. That’s because no one knows exactly how many wins there were. He raced here, there, and everywhere on dirt, asphalt, and in locations where record keeping was not always a priority. Phillips was just glad to defeat the opposition and move on to the next track. One crew chief, James Ince, estimates that Phillips won 1,000 times, maybe 2,000. Rivals reacted furious as Phillips’ No. 75 vehicle passed through the pit entrance, claiming that they were racing each other for second place. The reality is that Phillips was the first driver to win five NASCAR Weekly Series national titles. During an 11-year period, from 1989 to 1996, the Springfield, Missouri racer won 220 of 289 NASCAR-sanctioned races. Phillips also won 13 track championships in three states.
Landmark Award for exceptional contributions to NASCAR:
Lesa France Kennedy
Lesa France Kennedy is NASCAR’s Executive Vice Chair and one of the most powerful women in sports. Kennedy held multiple important executive roles with growing responsibilities during her more than 30-year tenure with ISC (International Speedway Corporation), including Secretary, Treasurer, Executive Vice President, and CEO. Kennedy spearheaded the redevelopment of Phoenix Raceway as well as the state-of-the-art Daytona Rising project at Daytona International Speedway. She also contributed to establish NASCAR’s stronghold in the Midwest with the construction of Kansas Speedway. Kennedy has been recognized by Forbes, Adweek, Sports Business Journal, the National Women’s History Museum, and has been inducted into the Cynopsis Sports Hall of Fame.
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