EARNHARDT JR. JOINS HALL OF FAME
Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mike Stafanik and Red Farmer will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2021, the sport announced Tuesday. Ralph Seagraves is the recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.
This is the first year Earnhardt Jr.’s name has appeared on the ballot. The former Cup driver, current team owner, author, broadcast analyst and part-time driver joins his father, Dale Earnhardt, cemented in the NASCAR history books with the latest honor.
Earhardt Jr. retired from fulltime racing in 2017 following a storied career that included two Daytona 500 wins, 26 Cup Series race wins and 15 consecutive years as the sport’s Most Popular Driver. His father, former Cup driver Earnhardt, was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2010, nine years after he was killed during an accident at the Daytona 500.
The Earnhardts are the sixth father-son duo elected into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. The Allisons (Bobby and Davey), Bakers (Buck and Buddy), Frances (William H.G. and Bill Jr.), Jarretts (Ned and Dale) and Pettys (Lee and Richard) are also names with that honor.
Earnhardt Jr. and Stefanik were selected from a list of 10 nominees on the Modern Era ballot, reserved for the sport’s “contemporary stars.” Those nominees included former drivers Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, Neil Bonnett, Harry Gant, Larry Phillips, Ricky Rudd, as well as former championship crew chiefs Harry Hyde and Kirk Shelmerdine.
Stefanik is one of just two drivers with nine NASCAR championships, along with Richie Evans. He nearly made the 2020 Hall of Fame class when five individuals were inducted, receiving the sixthmost votes last year.
Farmer was also a staple on
the previous ballots, but this year was placed into the newly added “Pioneer Ballot” category, which is reserved for individuals whose NASCAR career began more than 60 years ago. Farmer was the single inductee from a list of five nominees on the Pioneer Ballot, including Hershel McGriff (driver), Jake Elder (crew chief), Banjo Matthews (car builder) and Ralph Moody (driver and team owner). Farmer, 87, was an original member of The Alabama Gang and is still racing.
The Landmark Award is given to “a general ambassador for the sport through a professional or non-professional role,” according to NASCAR. Award winner Seagraves is most known for helping form a partnership between NASCAR and the Winston brand for the Winston Racing Series. He was selected from a list of five individuals, which also included driver Janet Guthrie, NASCAR’s first flagman Alvin Hawkins, former NASCAR president Mike Helton and Pocono Raceway founder Dr. Joseph Mattioli.
A panel consisting of NASCAR executives, media representatives, former inductees, and speedway owners, among other NASCAR personnel, submitted 65 ballots last week, in addition to one ballot from a nationwide fan vote, to determine the three inductees for the 2021 class. This was the first year that the Hall of Fame selected three inductees from two different ballots rather than a total of five inductees.
The induction ceremony is scheduled for the winter of 2021.