The NASCAR Hall of Fame announced its Class of 2027 on Tuesday, but fans were furious that the late Greg Biffle was overlooked by the voting panel.
Harvick and Burton were chosen from a list of 10 candidates on the Modern Era Ballot. Harvick received 92 percent of the ballot votes, while Burton received 32 percent.
Phillips was elected from the five nominees on the Pioneer Ballot, receiving 38 percent of the vote. Phillips was selected ahead of Neil Bonnett, followed by Dorton and Biffle.
The selection of Burton particularly upset NASCAR fans, as the legendary driver never won a championship. When NASCAR announced Burton’s induction, fans flooded the comments, campaigning for Biffle to be selected.
“Can anyone name 1 thing he has over Biffle?” One fan commented on X. “Worthy HOF candidate, but should not have been this year. Fumble by NASCAR and the HOF,” another wrote.
Another more reasonable fan wrote, “Not saying Burton isnt deserving but no Biff.” One user added, “Greg Biffle got robbed out of the HOF, but why Jeff Burton…..SMH.”
Harvick was a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and his dominant ballot vote summed up his popularity. Harvick won 60 Cup Series races and one championship, but also dominated the Xfinity Series with 47 wins and two championships.
“I’ve been told a few times in the NASCAR trailer [that] this sport will go on with or without you, so you can either get it straight or you can keep going, and that’s true,” Harvick told reporters after the announcement. “Everybody’s career ultimately comes to an end.
“The things that you do are what they were, and so to be able to have accomplished enough to be standing here today, I feel pretty fortunate because I had a lot of good people, a lot of good cars, and a lot of great moments to be able to have the success that we did. It’s quite an honor to be able to stand in here and have your name next to so many of the greats in our sport.”