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The NASCAR Hall of Fame announced its 2018 class for induction Wednesday, naming Robert Yates, Red Byron, Ray Evernham, Ken Squier and Ron Hornaday Jr. as its ninth group of legends for enshrinement.
Yates, a master engine builder and longtime team owner credited with 57 career wins, received 94 percent of votes cast by the 58 members of the voting panel, which includes one ballot from collective fan voting on NASCAR.com. His percentage is the highest since David Pearson was named on 94 percent of ballots in 2011.
In Byron, the NASCAR Hall welcomes the first champion of its premier series. Byron, who was the second highest vote-getter at 74 percent, was crowned in what was then known as the Strictly Stock division in 1949; that series is now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Evernham, who was named on 52 percent of the ballots, was the dominant crew chief of the 1990s, teaming with Jeff Gordon to capture three premier series championships. He also helped revolutionize modern pit stops by treating his crew as a team of professional athletes.
Squier, already recognized by the Hall as one half of the namesake Squier-Hall Award for media excellence, garnered 40 percent of the vote. The 82-year-old Vermont native was instrumental as the lead broadcaster for multiple networks, most notably calling the 1979 Daytona 500, which launched NASCAR onto the national scene.
Hornaday, 58, becomes the first inductee who made his mark in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The four-time series champion secured 38 percent of the votes, earning induction on a tiebreaker vote with fellow nominee Alan Kulwicki.
By Staff Report NASCAR.com May 24, 2017 at 6:14 pm
The NASCAR Hall of Fame announced its 2018 class for induction Wednesday, naming Robert Yates, Red Byron, Ray Evernham, Ken Squier and Ron Hornaday Jr. as its ninth group of legends for enshrinement.
Yates, a master engine builder and longtime team owner credited with 57 career wins, received 94 percent of votes cast by the 58 members of the voting panel, which includes one ballot from collective fan voting on NASCAR.com. His percentage is the highest since David Pearson was named on 94 percent of ballots in 2011.
In Byron, the NASCAR Hall welcomes the first champion of its premier series. Byron, who was the second highest vote-getter at 74 percent, was crowned in what was then known as the Strictly Stock division in 1949; that series is now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Evernham, who was named on 52 percent of the ballots, was the dominant crew chief of the 1990s, teaming with Jeff Gordon to capture three premier series championships. He also helped revolutionize modern pit stops by treating his crew as a team of professional athletes.
Squier, already recognized by the Hall as one half of the namesake Squier-Hall Award for media excellence, garnered 40 percent of the vote. The 82-year-old Vermont native was instrumental as the lead broadcaster for multiple networks, most notably calling the 1979 Daytona 500, which launched NASCAR onto the national scene.
Hornaday, 58, becomes the first inductee who made his mark in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. The four-time series champion secured 38 percent of the votes, earning induction on a tiebreaker vote with fellow nominee Alan Kulwicki.
By Staff Report NASCAR.com May 24, 2017 at 6:14 pm