
Kurt Busch, Harry Gant, Ray Hendrick voted to NASCAR Hall in ‘26
Busch and Gant were selected from the Modern Era Ballot, each garnering 61 percent of the vote. Jeff Burton, Harry Hyde and Randy Dorton were the next-highest finishers who didn't make the cut.
Hendrick was voted in on the Pioneer Ballot with 31 percent of the votes. Bob Welborn finished second.
Busch, 46, made the Hall in his first year on the ballot. He was the Cup Series champion in 2004 and won 34 times in the Cup Series, including two crown jewel races: the 2010 Coca-Cola 600 and the 2017 Daytona 500.
Gant, 85, followed 21 victories in what's now called the Xfinity Series with 18 wins in the Cup Series, including the Southern 500 in 1984 and 1991. Already a member of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, Gant was in his seventh year on the NASCAR Hall's ballot.
Gant also holds the record for the oldest driver to win a Cup Series race (52 years, eight months) when he prevailed at Michigan International Speedway in 1992.
Hendrick, who died in 1990, enjoyed a 36-year motorsports career and was known throughout the South as "Mr. Modified" for his successes in modified stock car racing. He is credited with more than 700 victories in modified racing and the Late Model Sportsman Series.
Busch, Gant and Hendrick were all named to the NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers list for the league's 75th anniversary in 2023.
NASCAR also recognized H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, former president and general manager of Charlotte Motor Speedway, with the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.
The Class of 2026 will be inducted on Jan. 23 in Charlotte.
--Field Level Media
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
10 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Diogo Jota was a genuine, down-to-earth gentleman enjoying the best weeks of his life, Liverpool fans must make sure his legacy is always remembered, writes LEWIS STEELE
The final time I had the pleasure of dealing with Diogo Jota was in the bowels of Munich's Allianz Arena a few weeks ago for the Nations League finals, which Portugal won. He was walking with his nation's greatest son Cristiano Ronaldo and Manchester City captain Bernardo Silva and was asked for an interview by a couple of us reporters. He stretched out his palms and gave a look to say: 'Why would you want to speak to me?' That was Diogo Jota. Another scene was just under a year ago in America. I sat down with the forward for an interview about how he was inspired by a trip to the famous Rocky Steps in Philadelphia and how he was hoping to make the upcoming season his year. As I left the beautifully air-conditioned room in the Four Seasons hotel the Reds were staying at, the main thought was that, save for the tracksuit and fresh smell all footballers have, there were few indications this was a top-level sportsman sitting across the table. That was Diogo Jota. A genuine, down-to-earth chap, a gentleman. No ego, no thinking he was God's gift, no indication he was irked by spending his time doing yet another media duty on a jam-packed tour of the United States. Inside, of course, he may have been itching to get back to his PlayStation or to FaceTime his fiance – now wife – and kids. He wasn't one to go out partying, more a family man who loved relaxing with those close to him and playing FIFA online with his mates. When a former Wolves staff member was being interviewed for a role in Liverpool's media team late last year, Jota – who made his name at the Midlands club – made a point of vouching for his old colleague with a glowing reference that helped him get the job. A year earlier, when team-mate Luis Diaz was going through a horrendous ordeal off the pitch – his father, Luis Manuel, was kidnapped in their hometown of Barrancas, Colombia – it was Jota's idea to hold up a 'Diaz 7' jersey when Liverpool went 1-0 up. That was Diogo Jota. Thoughtful, kind, a team player. Everyone in the dressing room loved him, used to banter him for never knowing the songs put on the playlist by DJ Virgil van Dijk or Andy Robertson. He had an infectious smile that lit up a room. When one young fan was struggling in 2021, Jota opted to record a video of himself sending his best wishes and advice to help the kid. It was his own decision to send the clip. Just a minute out of Jota's busy schedule helped to make the day of one kid. He was a believer in equal rights for sports stars and made a point of showing up to events about women's football and getting girls into the game. 4 years ago when my lad was at his lowest, Diogo took the time to record this for him and it helped more than he will ever know. It was a small task, but it meant to so much and I would have loved to have thanked for him personally for it. Thank you Diogo ❤️ — Ste Davies (@StevenD1977) July 3, 2025 Jota had the life goal of being a professional footballer and achieved and surpassed his dreams, enjoying success with Liverpool and at international level with Portugal He was the most clinical forward at Liverpool and his final goal, a thunderous strike in the Merseyside Derby, was a typical Jota finish Jota was a hard-working trainer who always gave 100 per cent for Liverpool and Wolves On International Women's Day last year he spoke passionately about the women who raised him and spoke of how he wanted his daughter to take inspiration from the likes of tennis legend Serena Williams. On a personal level, I resonated with Jota whenever we spoke because he was just a few weeks older than me. Like me and millions of other boys and girls around the world, he had a life goal to be a footballer. He achieved and surpassed all of his dreams. It is easy in moments like this to say that the sporting side does not matter but the fact he was a footballer, living out the dreams of so many, is why there is grief spread across the planet today for a man that 99 per cent of mourners did not know personally. He was a supremely gifted footballer and would have scored more than the 147 goals for club and country if not for a number of injuries. He was the most clinical forward at Liverpool and his final goal, a thunderous strike in the Merseyside Derby, was a typical Jota finish. Fox in the box. Jota was a hard-working trainer who always gave 100 per cent but football was just the day job for him given his love for gaming. He would often play against fans on FIFA and took Telford United to the Premier League in one of his Football Manager careers. This hobby became a side-hustle when he launched his own eSports business where gamers would play video games professionally for his Luna Galaxy empire named after one of his dogs Luna. In the latest accounts, they had won more than £400,000 in prize money and in 2021, he was the world No 1 FIFA player. Before Thursday, he had enjoyed the happiest six weeks of his life. He won the Premier League and said at the time: 'To arrive at this particular season with the title that I've been chasing for a lot of years and in the best league in the world – for me where I dreamed to play as a kid – it's a moment I will cherish forever. Jota had danced with Portugal team-mates and fans after their Nations League triumph in June Liverpool fans must make sure his memory is never erased and legacy always remembered 'It is a remarkable achievement for a small guy that came from Gondomar, where I had this dream. To arrive at this moment was outstanding.' Then he won the Nations League with Portugal and danced with their fans in Munich. And then in his down-time after a long season, he married his childhood sweetheart Rute alongside his three young children just 11 days ago. His final post online was about that day, with the words: 'Yes, for ever'.


Daily Mail
19 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Meet the billionaire American beauty lighting up Wimbledon: Emma Navarro hates talk of her family's money... and she's looking for love!
In a welcome boost for tennis stars, Wimbledon announced a record prize pot of $73million for this year's tournament - with singles champions set to take home a cool $4.1million. The sum represents an increase on the $3.6m taken home by last year's champions but, for one star, the Wimbledon title would prove far more significant than the stunning prize money. US star Emma Navarro, who was raised in New York, boasts a personal fortune so vast that the tournament's prize money would be like short change to her. Emma is the daughter of wealthy American billionaire investment tycoon, Ben Navarro, and the tennis star is quietly sitting on a $3.8bn inheritance. Tycoon Ben, 62, married to Emma's mother Kelly, built his billionaire empire thanks to numerous business ventures, most notably being the founder and owner of Sherman Financial Group, which has assets such as Credit One Bank. Despite her affluent background, Navarro has put the work in on the court and, now, has hit back at detractors who claim she was 'handed things' on her way to the top. In an interview with Tatler, Navarro explained: 'I don't read anything. I don't read the comments, the articles, any of that stuff. I don't know what the fans are saying. 'There will be headlines and they kind of mention that [her father's billionaire status] which is fine, but I didn't grow up being handed things. 'We grew up in a sort of traditional way. We'd get up at 6am on a Saturday morning and go play tennis. 'Growing up it was a priority that we learnt toughness and we learnt work ethic and how to be intentional and purposeful and live productive lives so I don't love being referred to as whoever with however much money's daughter. It's a label I don't really like.' For now, tennis is Navarro's only focus as she gears up for a third round match at Wimbledon on Friday afternoon. However, the 24-year-old did admit that, though she is currently single, she's open to love and wouldn't rule out dating a fellow professional. She continued: 'Tennis is it, for now. We'll see. My heart's open, let's put it that way.' When asked specifically whether she'd date another pro, Navarro replied: 'I don't know - I wouldn't write it off. It happens a lot. There are a few tennis couples on tour.' On Wednesday, tennis lovebirds Stefanos Tsitsipas and Paula Badosa reportedly parted ways once again - after both crashing out of Wimbledon in the first round. The duo are said to have broken up peaceably but have been 'shattered' by the demands of their high-powered careers, including injuries. Meanwhile, Navarro's rise followed a career best run of Grand Slam results having reached the third and fourth round respectively at the Australian and French Opens, before reaching the last eight at SW19 last year. Her run to the quarter-finals at Wimbledon included a stunning win over Coco Gauff, before she was beaten by the eventual tournament runner-up Jasmine Paolini. This year, Navarro has got the better of Petra Kvitova and Veronika Kudermetova already, as she prepares for a third round match on Friday. Navarro's best Grand Slam performance, however, came later in the year when she reached the US Open semi-finals in front of a home crowd but fell to the eventual champion Ayrna Sabalenka in straight sets. A quarter-final run at this year's Australian Open and a first WTA 500 title in Mexico in March have seen Navarro's own personal winnings from the sport reach $4.6m (£3.4m). Navarro had previously ground her way through the challenging US college tennis circuit before turning pro and the American has not been afraid to take on rivals on the court when she has felt the need. She generated headlines during last year's Olympic Games in Paris after being embroiled in a post-match spat with Chinese star Zheng Qinwen. After losing in three sets to the Zheng in the third round of the women's singles event, Navarro grasped her opponents hand during the handshake and had a tense exchange with the Chinese star. Navarro was seen shaking her head after exchanging words with Zheng, who would ultimately go on to claim the Olympic title. In her post-match comments, Navarro did not pull any punches about her view of Zheng, accusing her of being 'cut-throat' and added she was a player she doesn't respect. 'I think she goes about things in a pretty cut-throat way,' Navarro said. 'It makes for a locker room that doesn't have a lot of camaraderie, so it's tough to face an opponent like that, who I really don't respect. 'But, kudos to her, she played some good tennis there at the end. She played better than me, so congrats to her.' When asked about Navarro's comments, Zheng responded: 'She told me she doesn't know how I have a lot of fans. 'It looks like she's not happy with my behaviour toward her. If she's not happy about my behaviour, she can come and tell me. I would like to correct it to become a better player and a better person.' In a perceived dig at Navarro, Zheng then added: 'I'm glad that she told me that, I will not consider it an attack because she lost the match.' Navarro and Zheng has yet to meet since, with the pair narrowly avoiding a showdown at the US Open when the Chinese star was beaten in the quarter-finals by Sabalenka. With Navarro addressing the media prior to Zheng and Sablanenka's match, she was again asked about her comments at the Olympics and doubled down on her forthright opinion of her rival. 'I don't want to go super into the weeds with it, but I think during that match and, you know, on the practice court and the last few times I've played her, I felt just a little bit disrespected by her' Navarro said. 'I think she didn't necessarily treat me or the sport with respect. That's why I said what I said after the match. But, yeah, that's it. She added: 'I haven't spoken to her since and no, I didn't surprise myself, I felt that way the whole match. 'Even if I had won, I probably would have said the same thing. It wasn't a sort of in the moment, emotional thing. It was kind of just how I felt. And I think it got a lot more attention than I thought it was going to. 'I think maybe it's just one person's opinion, but it wasn't an emotional outburst. It was kind of just matter of fact, how I felt.' With fans awaiting the next meeting between the pair, all eyes will be on the Wimbledon draw to see when Zheng and Navarro could potential clash. A meeting would undoubtedly be high-profile due to the pair being seeded fifth and ninth respectively, meaning a showdown would be in the latter stages of the tournament. Zheng recently fell foul of British fans at Queen's when she overcame Emma Raducanu, after the Chinese star opted to change her shoes when the home favourite was attempting to save a break point, prompting boos from spectators. The competitive spirit shown by Navarro has run through her family, as her grandfather was ex-Ivy League footballer turned coach Frank Navarro. He was widely heralded for his work at America's most prestigious colleges including Princeton and Columbia. Frank served as a head coach for Williams College, Columbia University, Wabash College and Princeton University and even introduced the 'Monster Defence' at Williams. Navarro has offered fans glimpses at her life on and off the court through her Instagram, with her following having soared after impressive results over the past year and a half on tour. After heading into last year's Wimbledon with a following of 40,000, there are now over 240,000 tracking her life and progress. Navarro's account is dedicated mostly to the sport she loves, with the odd glimpse into a more luxe life via shots of boutiques and her jet-set life on the Women's tennis tour. There's also plenty of photos of the family pets, including Marti, a shaggy haired black and white dog that seems to hold a special place in Emma's heart. Although the American will be hoping to impress again at Wimbledon, there's certainly no financial pressure firing her on; the impressive family purse means she could retire in luxury tomorrow if she wanted to. Ben has also showed interest in his daughter's passion, investing in the tennis world first purchasing Charlestown Tennis LLC through his Beemok Sports company on 2018 - which holds the longest-running women-only tennis tournament, the Charlestown Open. Before splashing out nearly $300milliion (£237m) in 2022 to obtain the Western and Southern Open, which is a major tennis tournament. The Western and Southern Open saw 19 of the top 20 tennis players compete at the competition back in 2022 and is one of only nine tennis events that is recognised globally as a top-tier tournament for both men and women players. Regardless of her result at Wimbledon, Navarro already has a financial security most players can only dream of before their playing days come to a close.


Daily Mail
25 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS MLB star mysteriously placed on leave amid 'investigation' as league stays tight-lipped
Cleveland Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz has been placed on 'non-disciplinary paid leave' by Major League Baseball through the end of the All-Star break as the league conducts an investigation. The league announced this on Thursday morning, adding in a statement that it would not comment further until the investigation has concluded. has contacted MLB for clarification on this matter. In a statement (via The Athletic) the Guardians said, 'The Guardians have been notified by Major League Baseball that Luis Ortiz has been placed on leave per an agreement with the Players Association due to an ongoing league investigation. 'The Guardians are not permitted to comment further at this time, and will respect the league's confidential investigative process.'