NASCAR has announced the three-person class for 2027 induction for its NASCAR Hall of Fame. One of the inductees was an expected member: on his first try, Californian Kevin Harvick joins the Hall, accompanied by drivers Jeff Burton and Larry Phillips. The Hall named Lesa France Kennedy to receive the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.
The Hall’s Voting Panel met on May 19th, with an in-person closed session at Charlotte’s (N.C.) Convention Center. There they debated and voted on the 15 nominees for the 2027 NASCAR Hall of Fame and the five nominees for its Landmark Award.
The Voting Panel includes NASCAR reps and those from the Hall of Fame itself, major facility track owners and historic short-track owners, media and manufacturers reps, drivers, owners, crew chiefs, recognized industry leaders, a nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.com and the reigning NASCAR Cup Series titleholder, Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson. In all, 50 votes were cast and the the accountants at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) were in charge of vote tabulations.
The two Modern Era inductees came from a group of 10 that included Greg Biffle, Neil Bonnett, Tim Brewer, Jeff Burton, Randy Dorton, Ray Elder, Ernie Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Randy LaJoie and Jack Sprague. In the tabulations, Harvick received 92 percent of the vote and Burton gained 32 percent. Neil Bonnett finished third, followed by Randy Dorton and Greg Biffle. In the Pioneer ballot vote, Larry Phillips earned 38 percent, sufficient to gain entry, beating out Ray Fox, Harry Hyde, Banjo Matthews and Herb Nab. Landmark Award nominees included Alvin Hawkins, Lesa France Kennedy, Dr. Joseph Mattioli, Les Richter and T. Wayne Robertson.
The fan vote on NASCAR.com saw Harry Hyde atop the Pioneer standings, with Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick the leaders in Modern Era voting.
NASCAR’s traditional Nominating Committee decided the ten nominees on the Modern Era ballot; this same group selected the five Landmark Award nominees. The Pioneer ballot, which included five nominees whose career began in 1966 or earlier, was selected by NASCAR’s Honors Committee.
Harvick became a household name under trying circumstances in January of 2001, when he was called to replace The Intimidator, Dale Earnhardt, who died in a last-lap crash at that year’s season opener, the Daytona 500. Driving for Richard Childress Racing, he earned his first, emotional victory just three races into that rookie season, earning the Cup Series Rookie of the Year award in 2001. Known as “The Closer” for his ability to win just about anywhere, in 2014 Harvick mastered NASCAR’s new elimination-style playoffs, winning that year’s Cup Series championship. Over 826 starts, Kevin Harvick has secured 60 wins, ranking him 11th all-time.
Jeff Burton was always known for his insightful perspectives on issues being faced by his peers affecting their well-being and safety in the sport. Still, “The Mayor” of NASCAR’s on-track performance is what brought him to the Hall of Fame. The 1994 Cup Series Rookie of the Year went on to race for 22 seasons, spending the first half of his career with Roush Fenway Racing, where he had his biggest successes. His first Cup Series victory came at Texas Motor Speedway in 1997, when the track held its first Cup Series contest. Over the next five years, Burton would notch 17 wins and finish in the top five on four occasions. In 1999, he won a career-high six races, including two of the sport’s crown jewels: its longest race, the Coca Cola 600 and the Southern 500. Burton completed his career with 21 Cup Series wins and 27 O’Reilly Series victories, one of only 10 drivers to have at least 20 wins in each series.
Missouri’s Larry Phillips earned so many race wins that no one is exactly sure how many victories he achieved! As he raced on every type of track – dirt or asphalt – and in places where record-keeping went with a wink and a nod, Phillips just loved winning and going on to the next one. One stat stands out on Larry Phillips’ resume: he is the first of only two drivers to win five NASCAR Weekly Series national championships and, during an 11-year span from 1989 through 1996, he won 220 of 289 NASCAR-sanctioned starts. Phillips also won 13 track championships in three disparate states.
The Class of 2027 Induction Ceremony is scheduled to take place at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Convention Center on Friday, January 22, 2027. Tickets for this Induction Ceremony become available June 10 on NASCARHall.com.
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