Nominee Terry Labonte |
Following the first in-person meeting among the NASCAR Hall of Fame
nominating committee in the Hall’s history, NASCAR today announced the 20
nominees for the 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame’s sixth induction class, as well as
the five nominees for the inaugural Landmark Award for Outstanding
Contributions to NASCAR.
Included among the list up for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame is an
eclectic group of individuals whose skillsets span all levels of racing and
areas of expertise.
Among them are two-time NASCAR premier series champion Terry Labonte; 1988
NASCAR premier series champion and 16-time Most Popular Driver Bill Elliott;
nine-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion
Mike Stefanik; Buddy Baker, a 19-time NASCAR premier series winner; and
championship winning engine builder and team owner Robert Yates.
From the list of 20 NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees, five inductees will be
elected by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, which includes a nationwide
fan vote on NASCAR.com. Voting Day for the 2015 class will be Wednesday, May
21. Fans can attend the announcement at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte,
N.C.
Awesome Bill was nominated |
As was announced last November during NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s
Week, potential Landmark Award recipients could include competitors or those
working in the sport as a member of a racing organization, track facility, race
team, sponsor, media partner or being a general ambassador for the sport through
a professional or non-professional role. Award winners remain eligible for NHOF
enshrinement.
The five nominees for the inaugural Landmark Award are H. Clay Earles, Anne
B. France, Raymond Parks, Ralph Seagraves and Ken Squier.
Parks is the only individual who was included as both a NASCAR Hall of Fame
nominee and a Landmark Award nominee.
This round of nominees was selected by a 22-person nominating committee
consisting of representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame and track
owners from both major facilities and historic short tracks, as well as one
at-large member. The committee’s votes were tabulated by accounting firm Ernst
& Young.
Among the 20 nominees for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame are...
Buddy Baker, won 19 times in NASCAR’s premier (now Sprint Cup) series,
including the Daytona 500 and Southern 500
Red Byron, first
NASCAR premier series champion, in 1949
Richard Childress, 11-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national
series
Jerry Cook,
six-time NASCAR Modified champion
Bill Elliott, 1988 premier series champion, two-time Daytona 500 winner and 16-time
Most Popular Driver
Ray Fox, legendary
engine builder and owner of cars driven by Buck Baker, Junior Johnson and
others
Rick Hendrick, 14-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series
Bobby Isaac, 1970 NASCAR premier series champion
Terry Labonte, Two-time NASCAR premier series champion
Fred Lorenzen, 26 wins and winner of the Daytona 500 and World 600
Raymond Parks, NASCAR’s first champion car owner
Benny Parsons, 1973 NASCAR premier series champion
Larry Phillips, only five-time NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion
Wendell Scott, NASCAR trailblazer was the first African-American NASCAR
premier series race winner, and first to be nominated for induction into the
NASCAR Hall of Fame.
O. Bruton Smith, builder of Charlotte Motor Speedway and architect of Speedway Motorsports
Inc.
Mike Stefanik, winner of record-tying nine NASCAR championships
Curtis Turner, early personality, called the "Babe Ruth of stock car racing"
Joe Weatherly, two-time NASCAR premier series champion
Rex White, 1960
NASCAR premier series champion
Robert Yates, won NASCAR premier series championship as both an engine builder and
owner
The five nominees for the inaugural Landmark Award are as follows…
H. Clay Earles, founder of Martinsville Speedway
Anne Bledsoe France, helped build the sport with husband Bill France Sr. Affectionately known
as "Annie B.," she is the first woman to be nominated for induction
into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Raymond Parks, NASCAR’s first champion car owner
Ralph Seagraves, formed groundbreaking Winston-NASCAR partnership as executive with R.J.
Reynolds Tobacco Company
Ken Squier, legendary radio and television broadcaster; inaugural winner / namesake
of Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
NASCAR Hall of Fame: Executive Director Winston Kelley; Historian Buz McKim.
NASCAR Officials: Chairman/CEO Brian France; Vice Chairman Jim France;
President Mike Helton; Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton; Executive
Vice President of Racing Operations Steve O'Donnell; Executive Vice
President/Chief Marketing Officer Steve Phelps; Competition Administrator Jerry
Cook; former Vice President Ken Clapp. (Note: Due to Jerry Cook’s inclusion on
the ballot for the 2014 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, he was recused from
voting for the 2015 nominee class.)
Track Owners/Operators: International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa Kennedy;
Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell; Texas Motor Speedway President
Eddie Gossage; Atlanta Motor Speedway President Ed Clark; former Indianapolis
Motor Speedway President Tony George; Dover Motorsports CEO Denis McGlynn;
Pocono Raceway board of director member Looie McNally; Bowman Gray Stadium
operator Dale Pinilis; Riverhead Raceway operators Jim and Barbara Cromarty (1
vote); Rockford Speedway owner Jody Deery; Kingsport Speedway Operator Robert
Pressley.
At-Large: Mike
Joy, lead announcer for NASCAR on FOX.
just gets tougher every year !!
ReplyDeleteI sure would like to see Jerry Cook in the Hall of Fame.....he belongs there right next Richie Evans.
ReplyDeleteKevin F.
Damn, excellent list overall.
ReplyDeleteTough list to choose, but I would pick Bill Elliott, Terry Labonte, Ken Squier, Red Byron, and Joe Weatherly as my choices.
ReplyDelete