Davey Allison and former champion Bobby Labonte are among the new nominees for the 2018 NASCAR Hall of Fame class.
The 20 nominees were announced Wednesday on NASCAR America.
The 15 nominees that remain from last year are joined by five new nominees: Car owners Joe Gibbs and Roger Penske and drivers Red Farmer, Allison and Labonte.
Allison, who died July 13, 1993, from injuries suffered in a helicopter accident at Talladega Superspeedway, won 19 times in 191 Cup starts. He was the 1987 Cup rookie of the year and won the 1992 Daytona 500.
Labonte won the 2000 Cup title and 21 series races. He won a Coca-Cola 600, a Southern 500 and a Brickyard 400 and was the 1991 Xfinity Series champion.
Farmer continues to compete into his 80s. He began racing in 1949 and is an original member of the famed “Alabama Gang.” He won the 1956 NASCAR modified championship and the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman title in 1967, ’70 and ’71.
Gibbs formed Joe Gibbs Racing in 1992. The team has won 140 Cup races and four Cup titles: Labonte in 2000, Tony Stewart in 2002 and 2005 and Kyle Busch in 2015. Gibbs’ teams have won 132 Xfinity races and five owner titles.
Penske first entered NASCAR in 1972. He was a car owner through 1977, returned for two races in 1980 and has been a Cup car owner since 1991. Team Penske won the 2012 Cup title and has 104 series wins, including Brad Keselowski’s victory last weekend at Atlanta Motor Speedway.
Here are the 15 nominees who remain from last year:
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.
Ray Evernham: Three-time NASCAR premier series championship crew chief.
Ray Fox: Legendary engine builder, crew chief and car owner.
Ron Hornaday: Four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion.
Harry Hyde: 1970 NASCAR premier series championship crew chief.
Alan Kulwicki: 1992 NASCAR premier series champion.
Hershel McGriff: 1986 NASCAR west series champion.
Larry Phillips: Only five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion.
Jack Roush: Eight-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series, winning two Cup titles, five in Xfinity and one in Trucks.
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.
Also, the five nominees for the Landmark Award were announced. They are (in alphabetical order):
Jim France: Executive vice president of NASCAR and son of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. has played a key role behind the scenes in the sport.
Janet Guthrie: First female to compete in the Daytona 500 (1977).
Alvin Hawkins: NASCAR’s first flagman who helped establish NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium with NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.
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.
