DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR announced the inductees who will comprise the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2027.
The three-person group – the 17th since the inception of the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010 – consists of Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Larry Phillips.
In addition, Lesa France Kennedy was named the recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.
Members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel met Tuesday in an in-person closed session at the Charlotte Convention Center to debate and vote upon the 15 nominees for the induction class of 2027 and the five nominees for the Landmark Award.
The Class of 2027 was determined by votes cast by the Voting Panel, including representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders, a nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.com and the reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion (Kyle Larson). In all, 50 votes were cast. The accounting firm of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) presided over the tabulation of the votes.
Harvick received 92% of the Modern Era ballot votes and Burton received 32%. Neil Bonnett finished third, followed by Randy Dorton and Greg Biffle. Larry Phillips received 38% of the Pioneer ballot votes.
Results for the NASCAR.com Fan Vote were Harry Hyde (Pioneer), Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick (Modern Era).
The two Modern Era inductees came from a group of 10 nominees that included: Greg Biffle, Neil Bonnett, Tim Brewer, Jeff Burton, Randy Dorton, Ray Elder, Ernie Elliott, Kevin Harvick, Randy LaJoie and Jack Sprague.
Nominees for the Pioneer Ballot included: Ray Fox, Harry Hyde, Banjo Matthews, Herb Nab and Larry Phillips.
Nominees for the Landmark Award included Alvin Hawkins, Lesa France Kennedy, Dr. Joseph Mattioli, Les Richter and T. Wayne Robertson.
Ten nominees appeared on the Modern Era ballot, which was selected by the traditional Nominating Committee. The same committee selected the five Landmark Award nominees. The Pioneer ballot, which included five nominees whose careers began in 1966 or earlier, was selected by the Honors Committee.
The Class of 2027 Induction Ceremony is set for Friday, Jan. 22, 2027, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Kevin Harvick’s rise to NASCAR stardom came under extraordinary circumstances in 2001, when he was called upon to replace Dale Earnhardt following his tragic passing. Just three races into his rookie season, Harvick delivered an emotional victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and went on to earn the 2001 NASCAR Cup Series Rookie of the Year honors, signaling the arrival of a new force in the sport. Known as “The Closer,” he proved capable of winning anywhere, including his 2007 Daytona 500 triumph.
In 2014, Harvick mastered NASCAR’s brand-new elimination-style playoff, answering every must-win moment to claim the Cup Series championship and cement his place among the sport’s elite. Over 826 starts, Harvick amassed 60 victories, ranking 11th all-time among Cup Series winners. After retiring from full-time competition, he transitioned to broadcasting, joining FOX Sports as a NASCAR analyst for Cup Series races.
“The Mayor” of NASCAR. Jeff Burton earned that nickname for his insightful perspectives on issues affecting the well-being and safety of the sport. But it was his on-track performance that fueled his 22-year Cup Series career. The 1994 Cup Series Rookie of the Year spent the first half of his career at Roush Fenway Racing, where he experienced his most success. His first Cup win came at Texas Motor Speedway in 1997, the track’s first race.
Over the next five years, Burton would win 17 times and finish 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 finished his career with 21 Cup wins and 27 O’Reilly Series wins, one of 10 drivers to have at least 20 wins in each series. Since 2015, Burton has served as an analyst for NBC Sports’ NASCAR coverage.
The legend of Missouri’s Larry Phillips cannot be measured in wins alone. That’s because nobody can say for sure how many victories there were. He raced here, there and everywhere on dirt and asphalt and in places where record keeping wasn’t always a priority. Phillips was just happy to vanquish the competition and go on to the next track.
One crew chief, James Ince, estimated Phillips won 1,000 times; maybe 2,000. Rivals expressed frustration upon seeing Phillips’ No. 75 car come through the pit gate, admitting they were racing each other for second place. What is fact is that Phillips was the first of two drivers to win five NASCAR Weekly Series national championships.
During an 11-year span – from his first title in 1989 through 1996 – the Springfield, Missouri competitor won 220 of 289 NASCAR-sanctioned starts. Phillips also won 13 track championships in three states.
Lesa France Kennedy is the Executive Vice Chair of NASCAR and one of the most influential women in sports. In her more than 30-year career with ISC (International Speedway Corporation), Kennedy advanced through several key executive positions with increasing responsibility including Secretary, Treasurer, Executive Vice President and CEO. Kennedy spearheaded the revitalization of Phoenix Raceway, and the state-of-the-art Daytona Rising project at Daytona International Speedway.
She also helped cement NASCAR’s presence in the Midwest with the building of Kansas Speedway. Kennedy has been honored by Forbes, Adweek, Sports Business Journal, the National Women’s History Museum and is enshrined in the Cynopsis Sports Hall of Fame.
