• Inductees included Jimmie Johnson, Scott Dixon, John Surtees, Paul Newman and Five Other Legendary Figures Whose Contributions Have Significantly Shaped Motorsports
• Two-Hour Special is the First Time the Ceremony Will Air on MAVTV
DAYTONA BEACH, Florida (May 30, 2024) - MAVTV – the world's premier media platform for passion-fueled motorsports, powersports and automotive programming – will bring racing fans a 2-hour special of the 36th Annual Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony presented by Toyota Racing. This marks the first time the prestigious event will be aired on television, celebrating the outstanding achievements and contributions of iconic figures in motorsports. The ceremony took place on March 11 - 12 in Daytona Beach, Florida.
“Only the best of the best earn a spot in the Motorsports Hall of Fame,” said MAVTV President CJ Olivares. “MAVTV is delighted to offer motorsports fans a front-row seat to celebrate and honor these legends of the racing world. Sharing their stories and contributions is at the heart of our love for motorsports and its culture and we’re excited to connect fans with the rich history of the sport for the very first time on TV.”
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is the only hall that honors all facets of American motorsports including cars, motorcycles, airplanes, off road and powerboats. Its mission is to honor the values central to American motorsports: leadership, creativity, originality, teamwork and the spirit of competition. The annual induction ceremony is a special event dedicated to recognizing the achievements and innovations of the people that have propelled the sport forward.
“Each year, our 200 voters, half of them historians and other motorsports experts, the other half inductees themselves, select nine of the most extraordinary figures in the racing world for induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America,” said President of the Motorsports Hall of Fame America George Levy. “This year’s inductees included all-time greats like Jimmie Johnson, multi-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon and Hollywood icon and racing champion Paul Newman. It was an amazing event, and we are grateful to MAVTV for bringing this celebration to fans everywhere.”
2024 MSHFA Class of Inductees:
• Jimmie Johnson, Seven-Time NASCAR Cup Series Champion
• Scott Dixon, Six-Time IndyCar Series Champion
• John Surtees, the only Person to win World Championships on Both Two and Four Wheels
• Paul Newman, Academy Award-Winning Actor and National Champion Driver and Owner
• Austin Coil, History’s Winningest Top Fuel Funny Car Crew Chief
• Downing & Hubbard, Pioneers in Revolutionary Racing Safety Technologies
• Bud Ekins, Hollywood Stuntman and Multi-Time Motorcycle Racing Gold-Medalist
• Phil Walters, War Hero and Acclaimed Sports Car Racer of the 1940s and 1950s
• Earl B. Gilmore, Promoted Racing Excellence from Los Angeles to Bonneville to the Indy 500
Other honorees at this year's induction were Lynsi Snyder-Ellingson and Edsel B. Ford II, who were the first dual recipients of the Bob Russo Heritage Award, the MSHFA's highest honor next to induction. The Owner and President of In-N-Out Burger, Snyder-Ellingson was recognized for her vast efforts to preserve the future of drag racing in the United States. Ford, widely known as the “Godfather” of Ford Motor Company’s racing efforts, was honored as a leading and prominent ambassador for the sport of auto racing globally.
The 2024 Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony special will air on MAVTV Thursday, June 6 at 8 p.m. EDT/PDT. For additional information, visit www.MAVTV.com.
About MAVTV: MAVTV is the only linear television network and media platform dedicated exclusively to the global culture of motorsports and powered by a passion for speed. Offering an unparalleled line-up of exclusive and live racing, and narrative programming, MAVTV explores the people, vehicles, races and places within global motorsports: on pavement, dirt and water, and from Stock Cars to Rally, Drag Racing to Late Model Dirt, Trans Am to Sprint, Superbike to Enduro, and everything in between.
MAVTV goes beyond racing with a curated collection of documentary and “build” series and specials that inspire, inform and grow our community of race fans and auto enthusiasts with compelling storytelling. With a presence in more than 22 million households in North America (DIRECTV, Spectrum, YouTube TV, FuboTV and more), FAST channels across 24 countries and more than 300 million connected devices, the network is on a rapid growth trajectory.
For more information, visit www.MAVTV.com – and follow MAVTV on Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter) and LinkedIn.
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 led by first President 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.
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/
Adam Saal
(321) 890-2848