Motorsports Hall of Fame of America facts for kids
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) is a special place that honors people from the United States who have done amazing things in motorsports. This includes drivers, pilots, designers, builders, and anyone else who helped make racing exciting. They honor people from many different types of racing, like Open Wheel cars, Stock Cars, Powerboats, Drag Racing, Motorcycles, Sports Cars, and even Airplanes.
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About the Hall of Fame
The MSHFA started in 1986 as a non-profit group. Its first special ceremony to welcome new members was in 1989. The main goal of the MSHFA is to show how motorsports highlights important American values. These values include leadership, creativity, teamwork, and the spirit of competition.
How People Get Inducted
Who Can Be Honored?
Anyone who has driven, flown, owned, designed, built, or helped with motorized vehicles in races or for speed records can be considered. To be chosen, a person usually needs to have stopped racing for at least three years. Or, they must have been at the top of their sport for at least 20 years. Only U.S. citizens or non-citizens who achieved great things in U.S. motorsports can be inducted.
The Voting Process
About 200 racing experts vote on who gets into the Hall of Fame. These experts include historians, journalists, and people who are already in the Hall of Fame. Certified accountants make sure the voting is fair.
Each year, there are two rounds of voting. First, a group of 100 voters picks six finalists for each category. Then, all 200 voters choose the final inductee for each category. Each new member gets a special "Horsepower" award. This award is a bronze statue made by a famous sculptor named Michael Curtis.
The very first group of people honored in 1989 included legends like A. J. Foyt (Open Wheel), Don Garlits (Drag Racing), and Richard Petty (Stock Cars).
The Induction Ceremony
The main event for the MSHFA is its annual Induction Ceremony. It happens every March in Daytona Beach, Florida. This fancy event brings together racing legends from the past and present. New members are introduced by other famous people in motorsports. For example, in 2019, champions like Jimmie Johnson and Scott Dixon introduced new inductees.
The induction experience lasts two days. It includes a "Heroes of Horsepower" party at the MSHFA museum. There, the new inductees show off their permanent Hall of Fame sculptures. There's also a special lunch for those honored in the "Historic" category. A breakfast event lets new and old Hall of Famers answer questions from the audience. Anyone can buy tickets to attend these events.
The MSHFA Museum
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America museum is located at the Daytona International Speedway. More than 100,000 people visit it each year! The museum used to be in Novi, Michigan, where the famous Novi Special racecars were made. It later moved to the Detroit Science Center before finding its home in Daytona Beach. You can visit the museum daily as part of the regular speedway tours.
Inside the museum, you'll see vehicles and items connected to the Hall of Fame's members and their achievements. This includes historic race cars, cool souvenirs, and displays honoring the more than 260 people who have been inducted. There are also two movie theaters where you can watch motorsports videos.
Research and Information
The MSHFA also acts like a research center. It has a network of experts who know a lot about motorsports. They answer questions from journalists, historians, and anyone else interested in racing topics.
Recent Inductees
Class of 2025
- Skip Barber
- Miguel Duhamel
- Carl Haas
- Ed Iskenderian
- Dale Jarrett
- Tony Schumacher
- Bill Stroppe
Class of 2024
- Austin Coil
- Scott Dixon
- Jim Downing
- Dr. Bob Hubbard
- Bud Ekins
- Jimmie Johnson
- Paul Newman
- John Surtees
Class of 2023
- Zora Arkus-Duntov
- Henry Banks
- Dick Burleson
- Art Chester
- Ray Evernham
- Fonty Flock
- Darrell Gwynn
- Ab Jenkins
- Stephen Olvey and Terry Trammell
See also
