NASCAR Hall of Fame: Eligibility, Selection process, Induction, and Inductees

The NASCAR Hall of Fame honors drivers, crew chiefs, owners, broadcasters, and other major contributors for their exceptional contribution to the sport of NASCAR.

There have been a total of 58 individuals who have been inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame so far. Out of which, 24 have been inducted for their contribution solely as drivers, while the other 19 have shared driver, owner, and/or broadcast duties.

From the non-drivers' stable, a total of eight have been inducted in the capacity of owners, four as promoters, and the remaining four for their contributions as crew chiefs.

NASCAR Hall of Fame eligibility criteria

2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Being inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame is the pinnacle for anyone associated with NASCAR.

The eligibility criteria for the NASCAR Hall of Fame states that one needs to be an active NASCAR driver for a minimum of ten years and retired for at least two years.

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Besides, drivers who have a minimum of 10 years of competition under their belt and have attained the age of 55 years, are automatically eligible for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

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Competitors stand eligible for the Modern Era Ballot if their career started anytime in the past 60 years and they can stay on the Modern Era Ballot for a total of 10 years.

Meanwhile, careers that started over 60 years ago or have been on the Modern Era Ballot for 10 years already, become eligible for the Pioneer Ballot instead.

And a driver who has competed in NASCAR competitions for well over 30 years by Dec. 31 of the year before, attains automatic eligibility, regardless of age.

It is worth noting that some of the inducted drivers never ran in the Cup Series.

For the non-drivers, the criteria states involvement of at least ten years. However, there are considerations in place in case of any special circumstances only if one has worthy contributions towards the sport.

Selection and Induction Process

NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Day

Each year a total of 15 nominees are selected by NASCAR and NASCAR Hall of Fame representatives, track owners, and media personnel respectively.

The Nomination Committee comprising of 22 members, every February, select ten nominees for the Modern Era Ballot.

In April, a 43-member Honors Committee select another five nominees for the Pioneer Ballot.

In May, a total of 65 ballots are submitted by the Voting Panel, which includes one ballot from a nationwide fan vote to determine the three inductees - two from Modern Ballot and one from Pioneer Ballot. All three inductees are then inducted equally in the next Class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

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Bear in mind that the number for annual inductees was reduced to three from the initial number of five in Feb. 2020. The idea behind this was to preserve the status of the NASCAR Hall of Fame while maintaining high standards.

NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2022

Dale Earnhardt Jr. could hear his name called Tuesday as part of the 2021 NASCAR Hall of Fame class. He is not anxious about it. He explains why: pic.twitter.com/CXJDsVHc5n

— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) June 13, 2020

There was no Class of 2021 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, for the Jan 2022 induction, there have been three names voted in July 2020 and the remaining two will be due for voting in July 2021.

The three names that feature are that of Dale Earnhardt Jr., Mike Stefanik, and Red Farmer.

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While Earnhardt Jr. features for his contribution as a driver, owner, and broadcaster, Stefanik and Farmer feature for their contributions as a driver solely.

Other Awards

NASCAR also runs the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR Award and the Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence.

While the former recognises significant contributions towards the popularity of the sport, the latter honors key contributions made specifically by the media.