# International Motorsports Hall of Fame

The International Motorsports Hall of Fame (IMHOF) is a hall of fame located adjacent to the 2.66 mi (4.28 km) Talladega Superspeedway (formerly Alabama International Motor Speedway) located in Talladega County, east central Alabama. It enshrines those who have contributed the most to motorsports either as a developer, driver, engineer, or owner.

## History
### 20th century

The IMHOF was established in early 1970 following NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.'s decision to hire short track racing promoter Don Naman to build a museum and hall of fame in order "to preserve the history of motorsports and to enshrine forever the people who have been responsible for its growth." George Wallace, the Governor of Alabama, formed an 18-member observer commission in 1975 to choose a site and select a design. Following the failure to pass a state-wide referendum on a state bond finance distribution to build the IMHOF, France donated 35 acres (14 ha) of land from former race car driver Johnny Ray's family. France opted to build the IMHOF in Alabama rather than in his hometown of Daytona Beach, Florida because Floridian politicians threatened to levy a tax on Daytona International Speedway.
Construction was undertaken with private and federal funding released with new Alabama governor Fob James' approval. The first phase of construction consisted of the building of three of the first six planned buildings on the IMHOF. A groundbreaking ceremony occurred at the site on the afternoon of March 26, 1981, with approximately 100 individuals such as Wallace, Bill France Sr., and Bill France Jr. present. The first half was opened on April 28, 1983, and the second half on July 28, 1990. Track owners International Speedway Corporation (ISC) rented office space from Alabama to run the IMHOF. It has a museum containing racing vehicles, banner, helmet, medals, posters and trophy displays, the ISC offices, and ancillary spaces. The Alabama Sports Writers Hall of Fame; the Automobile Racing Club of America Hall of National Champions; the International Motorsports Hall of Fame; the Quarter Midgets of America Hall of Fame; the Western Auto Mechanics Hall of Fame; and the World Karting Hall of Fame are the six halls of fame on-site. The McCaig-Wellborn International Motorsports Research Library is also contained in the IMHOF.
Naman had been appointed IMHOF director in 1988, and he began setting out his objective to establish a working hall of fame. The first induction ceremony was broadcast live on The Nashville Network, and was hosted by country music record artist and car sponsor T. G. Sheppard at the Birmingham–Jefferson Civic Center Theater, in Birmingham, Alabama, on the evening of July 25, 1990. Induction ceremonies were held on the Wednesday evening prior to the Winston 500 in October at Talladega before being moved to December for both 1993 and 1994. After the Speedvision Dome was opened in 1996, all subsequent induction ceremonies took place there, four days prior to the Winston Select 500 at Talladega in late April.
Individuals were nominated and voted on by a panel of between 120 and 153 international motorsport writers as well as IMHOF inductees, who selected one or two new members or "old timers" (living inductees) from the nominations list. The nominations list was formed by candidate names sent by panel members, and 20 finalists were chosen, from which all panel members cast preference votes. Until 1996, 10 or more motorsports individuals were inducted annually, before no more than 10 nominees qualified for the final ballot, and a limit of six inductees for every subsequent year was imposed. All nominees had to be retired from participating in their respective categories for at least half a decade; they could be active elsewhere in their respective series in a different capacity. Some active racers could be inducted if they were over the age limit of 61. Individuals had to wait 15 years before become eligible for induction, with a 51 percent vote share required for induction. Unlike other sports halls of fame, waivers were not granted to major racing figures to enable their induction before the five-year waiting period had elapsed.

### 21st century

A total of 145 individuals were inducted during the period the hall of fame was active in most years from 1990 to 2013. The 20 inaugural members, Buck Baker, Jack Brabham, Malcolm Campbell, Jim Clark, Mark Donohue, Juan Manuel Fangio, France Sr., Graham Hill, Tony Hulman, Junior Johnson, Parnelli Jones, Stirling Moss, Barney Oldfield, Lee Petty, Fireball Roberts, Jackie Stewart, Mickey Thompson, Bobby Unser, and Smokey Yunick, were inducted in 1990. There were three women who were added to the hall of fame. In 1999, Louise Smith, a NASCAR driver during the 1940s and 1950s, became the first woman to be inducted into the hall of fame; the two other female inductees were multiple NHRA Top Fuel dragster champion Shirley Muldowney in 2004, and Janet Guthrie, who was inducted two years later. Wendell Scott, the first African American driver to win a NASCAR Cup Series event in December 1963, was the first African American to be inducted into the hall of fame in 1999. No one was added in each of 1995 and 2010 and nobody has been inducted since 2014.

## Inductees

Key :
| † | Indicates posthumous induction |
Inductees of the International Motorsports Hall of Fame :
| Nationality | Inductee | Occupation | Year | Refs |
| United States | Buck Baker | Stock car driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| Australia | Jack Brabham | Open-wheel driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United Kingdom | Malcolm Campbell † | Open-wheel driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United Kingdom | Jim Clark † | Open-wheel driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United States | Mark Donohue † | Open-wheel driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| Argentina | Juan Manuel Fangio | Open-wheel driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United States | Bill France Sr. | Series executive | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United States | Dan Gurney | Race car driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United Kingdom | Graham Hill † | Race car driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United States | Tony Hulman † | Track executive | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United States | Junior Johnson | Stock car driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United States | Parnelli Jones | Open-wheel driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United Kingdom | Stirling Moss | Race car driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United States | Barney Oldfield † | Open-wheel driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United States | Lee Petty | Stock car driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United States | Fireball Roberts † | Stock car driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United Kingdom | Jackie Stewart | Open-wheel driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United States | Mickey Thompson † | Vehicle builder | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United States | Bobby Unser | Open-wheel driver | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United States | Smokey Yunick | Car engineer | 1990 | [31][32] [33] |
| United States | Tony Bettenhausen † | Open-wheel driver | 1991 | [34] [19] |
| United States | Ralph DePalma † | Open-wheel driver | 1991 | [34] [19] |
| United States | Tim Flock | Stock car driver | 1991 | |
| United States | Phil Hill | Open-wheel driver | 1991 | |
| United States | Ned Jarrett | Open-wheel driver/Broadcaster | 1991 | [35] [36] |
| United States | Fred Lorenzen | Stock car driver | 1991 | [35] [36] |
| New Zealand | Bruce McLaren † | Car builder/Race car driver | 1991 | [34] [19] |
| United States | Wilbur Shaw † | Open-wheel driver | 1991 | [34] [19] |
| United States | Carroll Shelby | Vehicle builder | 1991 | [34] [19] |
| United States | Bill Vukovich † | Open-wheel driver | 1991 | [34] [19] |
| Italy | Alberto Ascari † | Open-wheel driver | 1992 | [37] [38] |
| United States | Louis Chevrolet † | Car builder/Open-wheel driver | 1992 | [37] [38] |
| United States | Andy Granatelli | Motorsports contributor | 1992 | [37] [38] |
| United States | Peter Gregg † | Sports car driver | 1992 | [37] [38] |
| United States | Louis Meyer † | Open-wheel driver | 1992 | [37] [38] |
| United States | Wally Parks | Motorsports contributor | 1992 | [37] [38] |
| United States | Eddie Rickenbacker | Motorsports contributor | 1992 | [37] [38] |
| United States | Kenny Roberts | Motorcyclist | 1992 | [37] [38] |
| United States | Curtis Turner † | Stock car driver | 1992 | [37] [38] |
| United States | Rodger Ward | Open-wheel driver | 1992 | [37] [38] |
| United States | Bobby Allison | Stock car driver | 1993 | [39] [40] |
| United States | George Bignotti | Car mechanic | 1993 | [39] [40] |
| United States | Henry Ford † | Car builder | 1993 | [39] [40] |
| United States | Al Holbert † | Sports car driver | 1993 | |
| Austria | Niki Lauda | Open-wheel driver | 1993 | [39] [40] |
| United States | Rex Mays † | Open-wheel driver | 1993 | [39] [40] |
| United States | David Pearson | Stock car driver | 1993 | [39] [40] |
| United States | Cale Yarborough | Stock car driver | 1993 | [39] [40] |
| United Kingdom | Colin Chapman † | Car builder | 1994 | |
| Italy | Enzo Ferrari † | Car builder | 1994 | |
| United States | Tiny Lund † | Stock car driver | 1994 | |
| United States | John Marcum † | Motorsports contributor | 1994 | |
| United States | Ralph Moody | Stock car driver/Car owner | 1994 | |
| United States | Benny Parsons | Stock car driver | 1994 | |
| United States | Mauri Rose † | Open-wheel racer | 1994 | |
| United States | Herb Thomas | Stock car driver | 1994 | |
| United States | Joe Weatherly † | Stock car driver | 1994 | |
| United States | Richie Evans † | Stock car driver | 1996 | |
| United Kingdom | Donald Healey † | Car builder | 1996 | [46] [47] |
| United States | Bobby Isaac † | Stock car driver | 1996 | [46] [47] |
| Germany | Ferdinand Porsche † | Car builder | 1996 | [46] [47] |
| United States | Johnny Rutherford | Open-wheel driver | 1996 | |
| United Kingdom | John Surtees | Open-wheel driver/Motorcyclist | 1996 | |
| United States | Buddy Baker | Stock car driver | 1997 | [49] [50] |
| United States | Ralph Earnhardt † | Stock car driver | 1997 | [49] [50] |
| United States | Don Garlits | Dragster/Automotive engineer | 1997 | [49] [50] |
| United States | Jim Hall | Driver/Car owner | 1997 | [49] [50] |
| United States | Rick Mears | Open-wheel driver | 1997 | [49] [50] |
| United States | Richard Petty | Stock car driver | 1997 | [49] [50] |
| United States | Davey Allison † | Stock car driver | 1998 | |
| Germany | Rudolf Caracciola † | Open-wheel driver | 1998 | |
| United States | Banjo Matthews † | Stock car driver | 1998 | |
| Italy | Tazio Nuvolari † | Open-wheel driver | 1998 | |
| United States | Roger Penske | Car builder | 1998 | |
| United States | Al Unser | Open-wheel driver | 1998 | |
| United States | Harry Hyde † | Crew chief | 1999 | |
| United States | Gordon Johncock | Open-wheel driver | 1999 | |
| France | Alain Prost | Open-wheel driver | 1999 | |
| United States | Wendell Scott † | Stock car driver | 1999 | |
| United States | Louise Smith | Stock car driver | 1999 | |
| United States | Mario Andretti | Race car driver | 2000 | |
| United States | Craig Breedlove | Land speed record holder | 2000 | |
| United States | A. J. Foyt | Open-wheel driver | 2000 | |
| Brazil | Nelson Piquet | Open-wheel driver | 2000 | |
| United States | Don Prudhomme | Dragster | 2000 | |
| Brazil | Ayrton Senna † | Open-wheel driver | 2000 | |
| United States | Neil Bonnett † | Stock car driver | 2001 | |
| United States | Jimmy Bryan † | Open-wheel driver | 2001 | |
| United Kingdom | Mike Hailwood † | Driver/motorcyclist | 2001 | |
| United States | Fred Offenhauser † | Car engineer | 2001 | |
| Italy | Ettore Bugatti † | Car builder | 2002 | [59] [60] |
| New Zealand | Denny Hulme † | Race car driver | 2002 | [59] [60] |
| Belgium | Jacky Ickx | Race car driver | 2002 | [59] [60] |
| United States | Alan Kulwicki † | Stock car driver | 2002 | [59] [60] |
| United States | Tim Richmond † | Race car driver | 2002 | [59] [60] |
| United States | Glen Wood | Car owner | 2002 | [59] [60] |
| United States | Briggs Cunningham | Sports car driver | 2003 | |
| Brazil | Emerson Fittipaldi | Open-wheel driver | 2003 | |
| United States | Ray Fox | Engine builder/Car owner | 2003 | |
| United States | Mel Kenyon | Midget car driver | 2003 | |
| United States | A. J. Watson | Car builder/Vehicle mechanic | 2003 | |
| United States | Red Farmer | Stock car driver | 2004 | |
| United States | Bill France Jr. | Series executive | 2004 | |
| United States | Shirley Muldowney | Dragster | 2004 | |
| United States | Bill Muncey † | Hydroplane racer | 2004 | |
| United States | Bobby Rahal | Open-wheel driver | 2004 | |
| United States | Joe Amato | Dragster | 2005 | |
| United States | Bob Glidden | Dragster | 2005 | |
| United States | Chip Hanauer | Hydroplane racer | 2005 | |
| United Kingdom | Nigel Mansell | Open-wheel driver | 2005 | |
| United States | Darrell Waltrip | Stock car driver | 2005 | |
| United States | Dale Earnhardt † | Stock car driver | 2006 | |
| United States | Harry Gant | Stock car driver | 2006 | |
| United States | Janet Guthrie | Race car driver | 2006 | |
| United States | Jack Roush | Car owner | 2006 | |
| United States | Humpy Wheeler | Race promoter | 2006 | |
| United States | Junie Donlavey | Stock car driver | 2007 | |
| United States | Ray Hendrick † | Stock car driver | 2007 | |
| United States | Jack Ingram | Stock car driver | 2007 | |
| United States | Warren Johnson | Dragster | 2007 | |
| United States | Wayne Rainey | Motorcyclist | 2007 | |
| United States | Bruton Smith | Race promoter | 2007 | |
| United States | Art Arfons † | Land speed record holder | 2008 | |
| United States | Red Byron † | Stock car driver | 2008 | |
| United States | Bill Jenkins | Dragster/Engine builder | 2008 | |
| United States | Frank Kurtis † | Vehicle designer | 2008 | |
| United States | Cotton Owens | Stock car driver | 2008 | |
| United States | Ralph Seagraves † | Motorsports contributor | 2008 | |
| United States | J. C. Agajanian † | Promoter/Car owner | 2009 | [73] [74] |
| United States | Donnie Allison | Stock car driver | 2009 | [73] [74] |
| United States | Jerry Cook | Stock car driver | 2009 | [73] [74] |
| United States | Bud Moore | Car owner | 2009 | [73] [74] |
| United States | Raymond Parks | Car owner | 2009 | [73] [74] |
| United States | John Holman † | Car owner | 2011 | [75] [76] |
| United States | Jan Opperman † | Race car driver | 2011 | [75] [76] |
| United States | Maurice Petty | Crew chief/Engine builder | 2011 | [75] [76] |
| United Kingdom | Brian Redman | Race car driver | 2011 | [75] [76] |
| United States | Rex White | Stock car driver | 2011 | [75] [76] |
| United States | Kenny Bernstein | Dragster/Car owner | 2012 | |
| United States | Richard Childress | Car owner | 2012 | |
| United States | John Force | Dragster | 2012 | |
| United States | Rick Hendrick | Car owner | 2013 | |
| United States | Dale Inman | Crew chief | 2013 | |
| United States | Don Schumacher | Dragster builder | 2013 | |
| United States | Rusty Wallace | Stock car driver | 2013 | |

## Statistics

Inductees by nationality :
| Nationality | Inductees |
| United States | 118 |
| United Kingdom | 11 |
| Italy | 4 |
| Brazil | 3 |
| Germany | 2 |
| New Zealand | 2 |
| Argentina | 1 |
| Australia | 1 |
| Austria | 1 |
| Belgium | 1 |
| France | 1 |