NASCAR Announces Nominees For NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2019, Landmark Award

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Gant, Gordon, Holman, Moody, Shelmerdine New To Ballot;
Hall, Hunter Join Landmark List

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (March 6, 2018) — NASCAR today announced the 20 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2019, as well as the five nominees for the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

The list includes five first-time NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees, representing different facets of NASCAR racing, all of whom influenced the sport throughout their brilliant careers.

Included among the list of new nominees is a four-time champion (Jeff Gordon), a pair of owners who teamed to build a two-time championship winning organization (John Holman and Ralph Moody), a four-time championship winning crew chief (Kirk Shelmerdine) and a driver whose excellence spanned two decades and two series (Harry Gant). 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 major facilities and historic short tracks and the media. The committee’s votes were tabulated by accounting firm EY.

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 2019 class will be Wednesday, May 23.

Added to this year’s list of Landmark Award nominees are Barney Hall and Jim Hunter. Three nominees return for the Landmark Award: Ralph Seagraves, Janet Guthrie and Alvin Hawkins (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.

Following are the 20 nominees for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, listed alphabetically: 

Davey Allison, won 19 times in NASCAR’s premier (now Monster Energy NASCAR Cup) series, including the 1992 Daytona 500

Buddy Baker, won 19 times in NASCAR’s premier series, including the Daytona 500 and Southern 500

Red Farmer, three-time Late Model Sportsman champion; 1956 Modified champion 

Ray Fox, legendary engine builder, crew chief and car owner 

Harry Gant, winner of 18 NASCAR premier series races, including two Southern 500 victories 

Joe Gibbs, combined for nine car owner championships in premier and XFINITY series

Jeff Gordon, four-time champion and winner of 93 NASCAR premier series races 

John Holman, won two NASCAR premier series championships as co-owner of Holman-Moody Racing 

Harry Hyde, 1970 NASCAR premier series championship crew chief 

Alan Kulwicki, 1992 NASCAR premier series champion 

Bobby Labonte, won a championship in both the premier series and XFINITY Series 

Hershel McGriff, 1986 NASCAR west series champion 

Ralph Moody, won two NASCAR premier series championships as co-owner of Holman-Moody Racing 

Roger Penske, combined for four car owner championships in premier and XFINITY series 

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 

Kirk Shelmerdine, winner of four NASCAR premier series championships as a crew chief 

Mike Stefanik, winner of record-tying nine NASCAR championships

Waddell Wilson, won three NASCAR premier series championships as an engine builder 

The five nominees for the Landmark Award, listed alphabetically, are as follows… 

Janet Guthrie, the first female to compete in a NASCAR premier series superspeedway race 

Barney Hall, legendary broadcaster for the Motor Racing Network; namesake of Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence 

Alvin Hawkins, NASCAR’s first flagman; established NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium with Bill France Sr. 

Jim Hunter, longtime NASCAR executive and former president of Darlington Raceway 

Ralph Seagraves, formed groundbreaking Winston-NASCAR partnership as executive with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company

NASCAR Hall of Fame Nomination Eligibility

  • Drivers who have competed in NASCAR for at least ten years and been retired for two years are eligible for nomination to the NHOF. If extenuating circumstances cause a driver’s eligibility to be in question, NASCAR will review and determine if any adjustments are needed prior to the Nomination Committee Meeting.
  • In addition, drivers who have competed for a minimum of ten 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 ten years in the NASCAR industry.
  • Individuals may also be considered who made significant achievements in the sport but left the sport early due to a variety of circumstances.

The 24-person Nominating Committee follows… 

NOMINATION COMMITTEE

NASCAR Hall of Fame: Executive Director Winston Kelley; Curatorial Affairs Manager Tom Jensen.

NASCAR Officials: Chairman / CEO Brian France; Vice Chairman Jim France; President Brent Dewar; Vice Chairman of NASCAR Mike Helton; Executive Vice President / Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell; Executive Vice President / Chief Global Marketing, Media & Sales Officer Steve Phelps; Senior Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer Jill Gregory; Senior Vice President, Competition Scott Miller.

Track Owners/Operators: International Speedway Corporation CEO Lesa France Kennedy; Speedway Motorsports Inc. CEO Marcus Smith; International Speedway Corporation President John Saunders; Holland Motorsports Complex operator Ron Bennett; Martinsville Speedway President Clay Campbell; West Coast Short Track representative Ken Clapp; Atlanta Motor Speedway President Ed Clark; Rockford Speedway operator Jody Deery; former Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Tony George; Texas Motor Speedway President Eddie Gossage;  Dover Motorsports CEO Denis McGlynn; Pocono Raceway board of directors member Looie McNally; Bowman Gray Stadium operator Dale Pinilis.

Media: Mike Joy, FOX.