After Greg Biffle’s tragic loss, the entire racing community demanded that NASCAR, as a sport, should honor his racing legacy. Renaming a track or an event, a tribute at a crown jewel, and some even wanted him to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, that wish isn’t coming true anytime soon.

NASCAR announced the class of 2027 Hall of Fame inductees at the Charlotte Convention Center. Kevin Harvick and Jeff Burton were selected from the modern ballot, a list of 10 candidates. Meanwhile, Larry Phillips was voted in from the five nominees on the Pioneer Ballot. But Biffle’s name wasn’t among the inductees. Interestingly, the voting process is as complicated as NASCAR’s rulebook, and that could be the reason why Biffle couldn’t make the cut for the class of 2027.

According to NASCAR’s statement, 50 members from the voting panel made their picks. And the combined results of these 50 votes and the fan vote made the final ballot. What’s even more shocking is that Biffle was the fans’ preferred choice and received the most votes in the modern ballot, even ahead of Harvick.

This, in turn, has made Burton’s pick a topic of discussion. Apart from the fans’ wishes to retain his legacy at Charlotte, his achievements also made a case for his induction.

• Biffle was the first driver in NASCAR history to win championships in both the Craftsman Truck Series and the Xfinity Series, claiming the Truck title in 2000 and the Busch Series crown in 2002, both under Hall of Fame owner Jack Roush.
• His Cup Series career across 515 starts produced 19 race wins and six top-10 points finishes, including a heartbreaking runner-up in 2005, when he won six races, led a career-best 1,322 laps on the season, and lost the title to Tony Stewart by just 35 points after a loose wheel at Texas derailed his Chase.
• Across all three national series, his total win count sits at 56.
• He was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers in 2023.

Now, while Biffle was not a Cup champion like Harvick, neither was Jeff Burton. Burton’s best championship finish in the Cup Series was third, achieved in 2000, and he never won a series title of any kind. He holds 21 Cup wins. But those came across 695 starts, which is 180 more races than Biffle’s. 

But, according to Jeff Gluck from Athletic, ‘The Mayor’ has been an influential figure even after his retirement. He formed the Driver’s Advisory Council and has long been one of the top advocates for driver safety. His role as a TV analyst at NBC and USA also stands out, which was enough for the panel to make their choice.

Even Gluck was surprised to see that Biffle had not been among the preferred candidates, but stated that this wasn’t his year. And the other 49 panelists felt the same way. Harvick was a runaway winner with 92% of modern-era ballot votes, while Burton received 32% votes. Neil Bonnett, from Alabama Gang, finished third, followed by Randy Dorton and Greg Biffle. 

Although Burton’s involvement with NASCAR is a significant one, Biffle’s heroic efforts truly stood out. In late September 2024, Hurricane Helene carved through Western North Carolina with catastrophic flooding. And Biffle, who was a licensed pilot with 3,500 flight hours and had purchased a helicopter just months before the storm, responded to help those in distress without hesitation.

He was formally recognized for these efforts with the 2024 NMPA Myers Brothers Award for outstanding contributions to the sport. Biffle put it in his own words: “The feeling you get when you win a race — that’s the feeling you get when you’re able to help people in need.” 

Despite it all, the vote went to Burton. NASCAR’s Voting Panel has offered no public comment on the result, and it is unlikely to. What is worth noting is that Hall of Fame nominees carry up to ten years of eligibility, and Biffle’s name will return to the ballot.