Kurt Busch is added to the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2026. In a new post by SiriusXM NASCAR Radio on X, he talked about what his long journey in the sport felt like and why this moment matters to him.Busch joins the Hall of Fame in his first year on the Modern Era ballot. He won 34 Cup Series races, the 2004 Cup championship, the 2017 Daytona 500 and the 2010 Coca Cola 600. His career stretched across more than twenty years and several teams. In the video, Kurt Busch spoke openly about the ups and downs of his career. He said,“It was a ride. You know, it wasn’t always peaches and cream and sunshine and rainbows.”The 47-year-old also talked about wanting to explain the choices and moments that defined him, saying,“I hope to paint the picture over these next nine, ten months… it’s to paint a picture of my side of things and what led to this or why that happened.”Kurt Busch explained that every team taught him something. He mentioned race wins, near wins and major decisions like leaving Roush for Penske. He recalled almost winning with James Finch at Sonoma and even sleeping on Todd Berrier’s couch during his time with Barney Visser.He added that North Carolina still feels like home because NASCAR shaped him. Kurt Busch added that he has deep respect for crew members and sponsors and wants people to hear the full stories behind each chapter.Busch enters the Hall of Fame alongside Harry Gant from the Modern Era ballot and Ray Hendrick from the Pioneer ballot. Humpy Wheeler will receive the Landmark Award. The voting panel gathered in Charlotte to select the Class of 2026, which becomes the Hall’s sixteenth class. The group will be inducted on January 23, 2026.Kurt Busch calls for a shorter playoff formatKurt Busch also shared his view on NASCAR’s ongoing playoff debate. He believes the ten race chase is too long and that a five race format would create a tighter fight for the championship. His comments came during another SiriusXM NASCAR Radio appearance.Many in the sport have questioned the current elimination format, especially after Connor Zilisch’s record season ended without a title. Busch said a hybrid system might work better. FanBuzz credited him saying, “I think you need a five race style format, and you keep some points from the regular season, but it’s the five races, and you accumulate as many points as you can during those five.”The Nevada-native added that starting the finale with a small points cushion could give drivers a fair edge. He also said the five race stretch should mix track types to keep competition balanced.Busch argued that a full season points system would cause interest to fade near the end. NASCAR’s Director of Racing Communications, Mike Forde, said on the Hauler Talk podcast that internal talks are underway and a decision could be announced within weeks or months.