DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (January 17, 2023) — A luminous lineup of legendary motorsports stars will be on hand to laud the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) Class of 2023 at the MSHFA’s milestone 35th Annual Induction Ceremony presented by Toyota Racing at the Shores Resort & Spa, Tuesday, March 7. The black-tie gala is the crowning event of a two-day MSHFA induction celebration that will formally usher the Class of 2023 into the only Hall of Fame of all motorsports.
This year’s honorees include the Father of the Corvette and Corvette racing Zora Arkus-Duntov (Sports Cars), national champion driver and trailblazing USAC official Henry Banks (Historic), America’s most successful enduro rider, Dick Burleson (Motorcycles), air racing superstar Art Chester (Aviation), one of NASCAR’s most innovative crew chiefs, Ray Evernham (Stock Cars), early NASCAR fan favorite Fonty Flock (Historic), one of the NHRA’s 50 Greatest All-Time Drivers, Darrell Gwynn (Drag Racing), prolific land speed record-setter Ab Jenkins (Speed Records) and two men who revolutionized racetrack emergency services, saving countless lives and careers, Drs. Stephen Olvey and Terry Trammell (Open Wheel).
Those magnificent motorsports figures will be celebrated and ushered into the MSHFA by a growing list of other motorsports stars and notables, including Master of Ceremonies David Hobbs (MSHFA Class of 2009). Some are already Hall of Famers, others will be there to present their peers for induction, and many will attend to just spend time with their friends and fellow competitors on one of the biggest nights of the year in American motorsports.
Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti (MSHFA Class of 2019) is traveling to Daytona to present motorsports safety pioneers Olvey and Trammell for induction. Like so many of his contemporaries, Franchitti fell into the care of Olvey and Trammell after more than one injury accident in his accomplished career. He frequently acknowledges he would not have the quality of life he has today in retirement if it wasn’t for Drs. Olvey and Trammell.
Gwynn will be presented by “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, the very first MSHFA inductee in the Drag Racing category as part of the inaugural 1989 Class that included Cannon Ball Baker (Motorcycles), James Doolittle (Aviation), A.J. Foyt (Open Wheel), Phil Hill (Sports Cars), Bill Muncey (Power Boats), Barney Oldfield (At Large) and Richard Petty (Stock Cars).
Evernham will be presented for induction by his friend and longtime colleague and popular motorsports television pit reporter and host Matt Yocum. A Daytona Beach native, Yocum and Evernham first worked together over 35 years ago at the International Race of Champions (IROC) under the leadership of Jay Signore and have been close friends ever since.
Hobbs, Garlits and Franchitti will be joined by dozens of other returning MSHFA inductees at the Class of 2023 celebration.
Among the Hall of Famers who have already confirmed plans to attend the 35th Induction Ceremony are a member of NASCAR’s “Alabama Gang” who won more than 500 career races, Donnie Allison (MSHFA Class of 2011), three-time SCCA Formula 5000 champion Brian Redman (MSHFA Class of 2002), 11-time APBA Gold Cup winner Chip Hanauer (MSHFA Class of 1995), nine-time Baja 1000 winner Walker Evans (MSHFA Class of 2015), four-time NHRA Funny Car Champion Don “The Snake” Prudhomme (MSHFA Class of 1991), the only rider ever to win 250cc and 500cc World Championships in the same season, Freddie Spencer (MSHFA Class of 2001), Buddy Martin, half of the multi-time All-Star Drag Racing Team duo Sox & Martin (MSHFA Class of 2007), nine-time Grand National Flat Track Champion Scott Parker (MSHFA Class of 2009) and iconic motorsports ambassador and the “First Lady of Motorsports” Linda Vaughn (MSHFA Class of 2019).
The MSHFA Induction Ceremony presented by Toyota Racing, which was sold out for the Class of 2022 celebration, will be preceded on Monday, March 6, by the traditional "Heroes of Horsepower" presented by Firestone reception and strolling dinner at the MSHFA Museum on the grounds of Daytona International Speedway.
The main daytime event is the annual Inductee Breakfast on Tuesday morning, March 7, that features the formal induction of each year's Historic inductees, which in 2023 includes Banks and Flock.
The 2023 Induction Celebration will also see the continuation of featured daytime presentations and roundtable discussions Monday and Tuesday that were popular with guests and past and present inductees last year. The schedule will be announced in the coming weeks.
A limited number of VIP packages are available providing discounted admission to all three 35th Induction Celebration featured events and access to VIP-only activities. Tickets are also available on an event-by-event basis. Please visit www.MSHF.com for more information and to see all ticket sales options and prices.
The MSHFA is housed in Daytona International Speedway's Ticket & Tours Building located in front of the famed 2.5-mile DIS tri-oval. Access to the MSFHA museum is included with every Daytona International Speedway tour, which run throughout each day, or as a museum-only ticket. The museum is open daily 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. nearly year-round except major holidays. It is visited by more than 100,000 guests each year from every state in America and countries all over the world.
For more information, visit the MSHFA at www.mshf.com or contact Levy at (248) 895-1704 or glevy@mshf.com. For museum tickets call 1-800-PIT-SHOP.
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/
About the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America:
The MSHFA is the only hall that honors all American motorsports: cars, motorcycles, airplanes, off road and powerboats. Its mission is to celebrate and instill the American motorsports values of leadership, creativity, originality, teamwork and spirit of competition. Founded by Larry G. Ciancio and Ronald A. Watson, it held its first induction in 1989. Watson spent the next 30 years tirelessly building it into the nation’s premier such hall until his passing in 2019. The original museum in Novi, Mich., relocated to Daytona Beach, Fla., in 2016 and greets more than 100,000 guests a year. MSHFA is operated by the nonprofit Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame of America Foundation, Inc.
Adam Saal
(321) 890-2848