NASCAR announced the 20 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018, as well as the five nominees for the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.

Each name made an indelible mark on the sport, whether from behind the wheel or atop a pit box… or even from inside a broadcast booth. After long careers that have helped shape NASCAR, all are now one step closer to its highest honor–enshrinement into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
 
Included among the list are five first-time nominees, all racing heroes who earned race wins, championships and also, millions of fans.
 
Among them are two owners who have each eclipsed the 100-win mark (Joe Gibbs and Roger Penske), a driver who combined for four championships in NASCAR’s Modified and Late Model Sportsman division (Red Farmer), an extreme talent who collected 19 wins before his too-soon passing (Davey Allison) and the 2000 premier series champion (Bobby Labonte). For a full list of nominees, please see below.
 
The nominees were selected by a nominating committee consisting of representatives from NASCAR and the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from both major facilities and historic short tracks and the media. The committee’s votes were tabulated by accounting firm EY.
 
From the list of 20 NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees, five inductees will be elected by the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, which includes a nationwide fan vote on NASCAR.com. Voting Day for the 2018 class will be Wednesday, May 24.
 
Added to this year’s list of Landmark Award nominees are Jim France and Alvin Hawkins. Three nominees return for the Landmark Award: Ralph Seagraves, Janet Guthrie and Ken Squier. Potential Landmark Award recipients include competitors or those working in the sport as a member of a racing organization, track facility, race team, sponsor, media partner or being a general ambassador for the sport through a professional or non-professional role. Award winners remain eligible for NHOF enshrinement.
 
Following are the 20 nominees for induction into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, listed alphabetically:
 

• Davey Allison, won 19 times in NASCAR’s premier (now Monster Energy NASCAR Cup) series, including the 1992 Daytona 500
• Buddy Baker, won 19 times in NASCAR’s premier 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
• Red Farmer,three-time Late Model Sportsman champion; 1956 Modified champion
• Ray Fox, legendary engine builder, crew chief and car owner
• Joe Gibbs, combined for nine car owner championships in premier and XFINITY series
• Ron Hornaday Jr., four-time NASCAR Camping World Truck Series champion
• Harry Hyde, 1970 NASCAR premier series championship crew chief
• Alan Kulwicki, 1992 NASCAR premier series champion
• Bobby Labonte, won a championship in both the premier series and XFINITY Series
• Hershel McGriff, 1986 NASCAR west series champion
• Roger Penske, combined for four car owner championships in premier and XFINITY series
• Larry Phillips, only five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion
• Jack Roush, five-time car owner champion in NASCAR’s three national series
• 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

The five nominees for the Landmark Award, listed alphabetically, are as follows…
 

• Jim France, worked closely with father and NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.; current chairman of International Speedway Corporation
• Janet Guthrie, the first female to compete in a NASCAR premier series superspeedway race
• Alvin Hawkins, NASCAR’s first flagman; established NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium with 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