Three former racing stars will be honored as the NASCAR Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2027 inductees on Tuesday, with Kevin Harvick earning selection in his first year of eligibility alongside Jeff Burton and Larry Phillips.
The voting took place Tuesday at the Charlotte Convention Center, where Harvick and Burton were selected from 10 Modern Era candidates while Phillips was chosen from five Pioneer Era nominees.
Lesa France Kennedy was also named as this year’s Landmark Award recipient for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.
The induction ceremony is scheduled for January 22 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.
At age 50, Harvick stepped away from full-time competition following the 2023 season, finishing his 23-year career with 60 Cup Series wins, ranking him 11th all-time. His achievements include the 2014 Cup Series title and championships in what is now known as the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2001 and 2006.
Harvick’s career began when he took over for the late Dale Earnhardt after the seven-time champion’s fatal crash at the 2001 Daytona 500. Working with team owner Richard Childress, Harvick achieved immediate success, capturing his third race and earning 2001 NASCAR Rookie of the Year honors.
Throughout his career, Harvick reached at least five wins in a season four different times, with his best year coming in 2020 when he won nine races. Known by his nickname “The Closer,” Harvick now works as an analyst for Fox Sports’ NASCAR broadcasts.
Burton, who like Harvick was recognized among NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023, accumulated 21 Cup Series victories and 27 O’Reilly Series wins during his career. “The Mayor” of NASCAR achieved his career-best season in 1999 with six race wins. The 58-year-old received his Hall of Fame selection in his sixth year of eligibility.
Currently, Burton serves as a broadcaster for NBC Sports and works as an adviser for NASCAR’s drivers’ council.
Phillips’ racing accomplishments are estimated to include 1,000 or possibly 2,000 victories according to his crew chief James Ince, though NASCAR notes the exact number remains uncertain due to Phillips competing on various surfaces across multiple locations where results weren’t always documented. Phillips passed away in September 2004 at 62 years old.
According to NASCAR, Phillips became the first driver to claim five NASCAR Weekly Series championships, and between 1989 and 1996, he won 220 out of 289 NASCAR-sanctioned events.
Kennedy serves as NASCAR’s Executive Vice Chair and brings over three decades of experience with International Speedway Corporation. Recognized as one of sports’ most influential women, Kennedy has held various executive positions including secretary, treasurer, executive vice president and CEO.
In 2016, Kennedy received induction into the Cynopsis Sports Business Hall of Fame.
The selection process involved a 50-member voting panel consisting of NASCAR representatives, NASCAR Hall of Fame officials, track owners, media personnel, competitors including drivers, owners and crew chiefs, nationwide fan voting, and reigning NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson.
Harvick earned 92% of Modern Era votes while Burton received 32%. Neil Bonnett finished third in voting, followed by Randy Dorton and Greg Biffle. Phillips captured 38% of Pioneer Era votes.
Fan voting through NASCAR.com selected Harry Hyde for the Pioneer category and Greg Biffle and Kevin Harvick for the Modern Era.
