NASCAR today announced the 20 nominees for
the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2017, as well as the five nominees for the
Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR. Included among the list
are five first-time nominees, all legends who made excellence a habit through
their various contributions to the sport.
Among them are record-holding four-time
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion Ron Hornaday Jr.; the man with the
most car owner wins in NASCAR national series history with 322, Jack Roush;
former all-time consecutive starts leader Ricky Rudd; legendary motorsports
broadcasting pioneer Ken Squier; and three-time premier series champion engine
builder and three-time Daytona 500-winning crew chief Waddell Wilson. For a
full list of nominees, please see below.
The nominees were selected by a nominating
committee consisting of representatives from NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of
Fame, track owners from both major facilities and historic short tracks and the
media. The committee’s votes were tabulated by accounting firm Ernst &
Young.
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
2017 class will be Wednesday, May 25.
Added to this year’s list of Landmark Award
nominees is Janet Guthrie – the first female driver to compete in a NASCAR
premier series superspeedway race. The four returning nominees for the Landmark
Award are H. Clay Earles, Raymond Parks, Ralph Seagraves and Squier (more on each
below). Potential Landmark Award recipients 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 20 nominees for induction into the NASCAR
Hall of Fame, listed alphabetically, 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.
Ray Evernham,
three-time NASCAR premier series championship crew chief.
Ray Fox,
legendary engine builder, crew chief and car owner.
Rick Hendrick,
14-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series.
Ron Hornaday Jr.,
four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion.
Harry Hyde,
1970 NASCAR premier series championship crew chief.
Alan Kulwicki,
1992 NASCAR premier series champion.
Mark Martin,
96-time race winner in NASCAR national series competition.
Hershel McGriff,
1986 NASCAR west series champion.
Raymond Parks,
NASCAR’s first champion car owner.
Benny Parsons,
1973 NASCAR premier series champion.
Larry Phillips,
only five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion.
Jack Roush,
five-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series.
Ricky Rudd,
won 23 times in NASCAR’s premier series, including the 1997 Brickyard 400.
Ken Squier,
legendary radio and television broadcaster; inaugural winner/namesake of
Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.
Mike Stefanik,
winner of record-tying nine NASCAR championships.
Waddell Wilson,
won three NASCAR premier series championships as an engine builder.
Robert Yates,
won NASCAR premier series championship as both an engine builder and owner.
In addition, the five nominees for the
Landmark Award, listed alphabetically, are:
H. Clay Earles,
founder of Martinsville Speedway.
Janet Guthrie,
the first female to compete in a NASCAR premier series superspeedway race.
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.
In order to be eligible for the Hall, drivers
must have competed in NASCAR for at least 10 years and been retired for two
years. Previously, eligible drivers must have been retired for three years. Drivers
who have competed for a minimum of 10 years and reached their 55th birthday on
or before Dec. 31 of the year prior to the nominating year are immediately
eligible for the NHOF. Any driver who has competed for 30 or more years in
NASCAR competition by Dec. 31 of the year prior to the nominating year is
automatically eligible, regardless of age. Drivers may continue to compete
after reaching any of the aforementioned milestones without compromising
eligibility for nomination or induction.
For
non-drivers, individuals must have worked at least 10 years in the NASCAR
industry. Individuals may also be considered who made significant achievements
in the sport, but left the sport early due to extenuating circumstances.
Good luck Dave !! This years selection it's outstanding once again. I would like to see Ken Squier and Buddy Baker make it in, but all are deserving.
ReplyDeletePlease vote for those that may not be here to see it next time around instead of those that still have a lot of years ahead of them.
ReplyDeleteWhy Squier was not in the first or second class I will never know. The man has done so much for the sport not to mention my beloved Thunder Road. I bet the majority of today's fans don't even know who he is and that is sad.
ReplyDeleteTough, but I would have to go with the following.
ReplyDeleteBaker
Byron
Fox
Parks
Squier
I remember when the HOF first opened and some worried that we would run out of deserving nominees after a few years. Ain't happenin'.
ReplyDelete