The list of NASCAR Hall of Fame nominees that was released on July 12 includes 15 names and features a seven time champion racer, a champion crew chief, pioneer racers, and two women.

In his first year of eligibility, seven time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson is among the nominees.  Fellow seven time champions Dale Earnhardt Sr and Richard Petty are already members of the Hall of Fame.

Johnson’s crew chief Chad Knaus for those championships is also on the ballot for the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.  Also on the ballot of Modern Era nominees are Neil Bonnett, Tim Brewer, Jeff Burton, Carl Edwards, Harry Gant, Harry Hyde, Larry Phillips and Ricky Rudd.

Alabama Gan member and patriarch Donnie Allison has his name added to the list of NASCAR Pioneers.  The other nominees on the Pioneer Ballot are , Sam Ard, A.J. Foyt, Banjo Matthews and Ralph Moody.  The Pioneer Ballot is for NASCAR members whose careers began over 60 years ago.

The Landmark Award is for people who have made an Outstanding Contribution to NASCAR.  Former Los Angeles Rams linebacker, senior vice president of operations for NASCAR, and president of Riverside International Raceway Les Richter, Lesa France Kennedy, Janet Guthrie, Alvin Hawkins, and Dr. Joseph Mattioli are all nominees for the 2024 Landmark Award.

Two names from the Modern Era, one name from the Pioneer Era, and a Landmark Award winner will be choses.  Voting for the Hall of Fame is set for August 2.  Fan voting is open now until July 30 at nascar.com/halloffame with the fan vote counting as a single vote; joining the panel of 61 voting members.


Meet the nominees:
Jimmie Johnson is a seven time NASCAR champion – five in consecutive years – with 83 Cup Series wins.  Currently he is co-owner of Legacy Motor Club.  He spent his entire career driving for Hendrick Motorsports.

Now an executive with Hendrick Motorsports, Chad Knaus spent over 700 races sitting on top of the pit box leading his driver to 82 victories with over half of his races ending with a top 10.

Donnie Allison is hoping to complete the family of Hall of Famers and joining brother Bobby and nephew Davey as members of the Hall of Fame.  While a racing pioneer, Allison is perhaps better remembered for his participation in a fight with Cale Yarborough at the 1979 Daytona 500.

Les Richter is already a Hall of Fame member as a part of the NFL Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Retcher died at the age of 79 in 2010.

Neil Bonnett is on the ballot for the fourth time.  After winning 18 races – including two Coca-Cola 600’s – Bonnet spent some time in the broadcast booth.

Crew chief Tim Brewer returns for a second year on the ballot.  Over the course of his career, he spent time on the pit box for Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip.

Known in NASCAR as The Mayor for his ardent insistence on safety for the drivers, former driver and current BNC broadcaster Jeff Burton is on the ballot for the third time.

Seventy-two time winner Carl Edwards returns to the Hall of Fame ballot for the third time.  Edwards was known for doing a back flip off the car window after winning a race.  Edwards retired from driving in 2017.

Known for his riding the high line or rim-riding up against the wall; Harry Gant returns to the Hall of Fame ballot for the fifth year.  Four of his 18 victories were achieved when he was 51 years old.

Crew chief Harry Hyde earned 55 victories sitting on the pit box including as crew chief for Bobby Isaac.  This is his eighth year on the Hall of Fame ballot.

Larry Phillips returns to the ballot for the 10th time.  He is the only driver to win the NASCAR weekly series national championship five times.  He has earned 13 championships across three states.

Ricky Rudd ranks behind leader Richard Petty in number of race starts with 906.  Over the course of his racing career he earned 23 wins.  He earned at least one win 16 years in a row.  He returns to the ballot for the seventh time. 

Short track master Sam Ard is also a two time champion is what is now the Xfinity Series.  This is his third time on the Hall of Fame ballot.

Known more as an IndyCar driver AJ Foyt made 128 Cup Series starts over a 30 year period including running the Daytona 500.  This is his second time on the Hall of Fame ballot.

Like many drivers Edwin Keith “Banjo” Matthews went on to become an owner and later crew chief.  He would go on to be a car builder.  This is his third time on the ballot.

Mechanical wizard and later car owner Ralph Moody is on the ballot for the fifth time.  He is a two time Daytona 500 and two time championship car owner.

An aerospace engineer who became a full time driver, Janet Guthrie was the first female to compete in the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500.  This is her second year on the ballot to win the Landmark Award.

Alvin Hawkins was the first flagman in NASCAR and one of the men in the room when NASCAR was founded in 1947.

Lesa France Kennedy as the Executive Vice Chair of NASCAR is considered one of the most influential woman in sports.  Her accomplishments include the spearheaded the revitalization of Phoenix Raceway, the Daytona Rising project at Daytona International Speedway, and the building of Kansas Speedway.

Dr.Josehp Mattioli is not known for his medical prowess but for creating one of the most iconic racetracks in NASCAR – the Tricky Triangle of Pocono Raceway.  This is his fourth time on the Hall of Fame ballot.