North Carolina

Jeff Gordon among new nominees for NASCAR Hall of Fame

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Jeff Gordon is among the new nominees up for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame next year.

The four-time NASCAR champion was added to the list of 20 nominees in the first year Gordon was eligible. He retired from full-time competition after the 2015 season with 93 career Cup victories. He is currently an analyst for Fox Sports.

Also added to the list this year were Harry Gant, a driver whose career spanned two decades and two series, four-time championship winning crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine, and car owners John Holman and Ralph Moody.

The nominees were selected by a committee consisting of representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, as well as Fox commentator Mike Joy.

Nominated this year for the Landmark Award for contributions to the sport were former broadcaster Barney Hall, the namesake of the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence, and Jim Hunter, a longtime NASCAR executive and former president of Darlington Raceway.

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

Associated Press

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