Early next month, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America will introduce its Class of 2010, which will be inducted at the Fillmore Theater in Detroit on August 25.  Voters are currently filling out their ballots.  One question remains.  Who will be selected?

Will it be veteran driver and official Wally Dallenbach or champion owner Carl Haas who comes out on top in the Open Wheel Category?  Perhaps it’ll be two-time Indy 500 Champ Arie Luyendyk, “The Flying Dutchman.”  It also could be USAC’s sprint, stock and Indy car champ, Roger McCluskey, or Danny Sullivan who “spun and won” at Indianapolis in 1985.  Multiple sprint car and midget champion Rich Vogler is another possibility, as is 1997 and 1998 CART Champion Alex Zanardi.

In addition to Open Wheel, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America annually honors racing legends in six other categories.

The 2010 Stock Car ballot features two members of the “Alabama Gang,” Davey and Donnie Allison, back-to-back Cola-Cola 600 winner Neil Bonnett, “Handsome” Harry Gant, team owner extraordinaire Rick Hendrick, 1992 Winston Cup King Alan Kulwicki and 1989 Cup Champ Rusty Wallace.

The quarter-milers on the ballot this year are Kenny Bernstein’s mechanical genius and winning driver in his own right Dale Armstrong, “Blue Max” owner/driver Raymond Beadle, pioneering Funny Car driver Jack Chrisman, six-time NHRA Pro Stock Champion Warren Johnson, 22-time winner in Funny Car and Top Fuel Ed McCulloch and “The Old Master” engine builder Ed Pink.

Sports Car contenders in 2010 include IMSA Founder John Bishop, the “Kansas City Flash” Masten Gregory, pioneering driver and car builder Dick Guldstrand, four-time Trans Am Champion Tommy Kendall, 1960 SCCA Champion Augie Pabst, Chaparral driver and team manager Hap Sharp, as well as 1967 Trans Am Champ and writer Jerry Titus.

Motorcycle racers on the 2010 ballot include four-time AMA Grand National Champion Everett Brashear, three-time AMA flat track king Ricky Graham, winner of seven AMA motocross and supercross titles Rick Johnson, three-time Daytona 200 winner Richard Klamfoth, the first American 500cc World Motocross Champion Brad Lackey, seven-time AMA Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath, two-time Superbike World Champion Fred Merkel along with Bruce Penhall, America’s greatest speedway rider.

The Hall of Fame’s Historic Category honors racers who made their mark prior to 1970.  Those being considered this year are NASCAR’s first champion Red Byron, racer and stunt driver “The Chief” Joie Chitwood, motorcycle sidecar racer Pop Dreyer, industrialist and tire pioneer Harvey Firestone, mechanic/car builder Ray Nichels, 1955 Indy 500 winner Bob Sweikert and two-time NASCAR Grand National Champion Herb Thomas.

For the At Large Category in 2010, voters will exclusively consider media candidates.  Their choices are the original radio voice of the Indianapolis 500 Sid Collins, broadcaster and historian Donald Davidson, Petersen Publishing Co. founder Robert E. Petersen, historian/promoter/publicist Bob Russo, the broadcast voice of stock car racing Ken Squier, plus Car & Driver editor, commentator and author Brock Yates.

This year’s ballot is a result of an earlier vote by the Motorsports Hall of Fame’s permanent Nominating Committee, which consists of experts with an outstanding general knowledge of motorsports and/or are especially knowledgeable in specific categories.  Finalists were selected from a Master List of 193 eligible candidates.

Nominees receiving the most votes in each category upon final count of the ballots will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. The class will be announced in early February and the induction will take place at the Fillmore Theater in Detroit on August 25, 2010.