Jeff Burton makes his feelings known on being “considered” among 2026 NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees

Veteran NASCAR driver and current NBC analyst Jeff Burton responded with pride for being named among the 15 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2026. The moment marked a major recognition for the 21-time Cup race winner's legacy, as the Hall of Fame committee prepares to vote on May 20.

NASCAR revealed the full list of Hall of Fame nominees on 21 April, with Kurt Busch and Randy LaJoie joining the Modern Era Ballot for the first time. Burton is part of this category, which features ten names from NASCAR's more recent past. NASCAR took to X to announce all the nominees and wrote:

The #NASCARHOF Class of 2026 ballot is here! New to the Modern Era Ballot this year are @KurtBusch and Randy LaJoie."

When NASCAR revealed the list, Jeff Burton commented on the post:

"An amazing honor to be considered."

The fan vote for the NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees remains open through May 18 and will count as one vote on the larger panel's ballot.

Other returning names include Greg Biffle, Neil Bonnett, Harry Gant, and Tim Brewer. The Pioneer Ballot, reserved for figures whose careers began 60 or more years ago, includes legendary crew chief Jake Elder and grassroots icon Larry Phillips. Meanwhile, Humpy Wheeler leads the Landmark Award ballot for his promotional and organizational impact on the sport.

Jeff Burton has spent over two decades in the Cup Series after debuting in 1994 with Filmar Racing. He competed in 695 races and finished 254 times in the top 10. Known as "The Mayor" for his views on racer well-being and leadership on and off track, Burton made his name with Roush Racing and later Richard Childress Racing. He transitioned to broadcasting after his retirement in 2014.

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Jeff Burton dives into Bristol tire saga and Goodyear's fine line

Jeff Burton talks to the media after the Dickies 500 at Texas. Source: Imagn

Besides his reporting stint with NBC, Jeff Burton is also a regular at the NASCAR Inside the Race podcast with Steve Letarte. In a recent episode, the 57-year-old analyzed one of Bristol's biggest talking points this year - the tires. The 2024 spring race at Bristol saw drastically different tire behavior between practice and race day, despite Goodyear using the exact same compound from previous events.

Burton pointed to a subtle but crucial factor and said:

"The only difference from today to yesterday is temperature. It's about 10 degrees warmer today, than it was yesterday. I was at the racetrack yesterday I watched practice...a lot of cars after 15-20 laps looked like they were horrible to drive. Then I watched today's race and I shouldn't have even gone yesterday to watch that practice, because I learned nothing. The difference is temperature." (9:31 onwrards)

The veteran analyst reflected on how tire wear panic struck the garage and broadcast booth after Saturday's Cup practice. Excessive degradation led to concerns that tires wouldn't survive beyond 50 laps. But by Sunday, with track temperatures roughly 10 degrees higher and PJ1 TrackBite reapplied to the corners, conditions normalized.

Goodyear tires after a run in the NASCAR Food City 500 at Bristol. Source: Imagn

Kyle Larson dominated, leading 411 of 500 laps in a race with minimal cautions and steady grip. Burton noted that such variability underscores how razor-thin the margin is for tire manufacturers like Goodyear. Teams had returned aggressive setups based on previous race notes, only to be surprised by the shift in wear rate.