The MSHFA was incorporated in 1986 as an IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization by civic leaders of the City of Novi, Michigan, led by Founding Chairman Larry G. Ciancio. Its inaugural Induction Ceremony was held in 1989. Ron Watson was its founding President and served in that capacity until his death in October 2019. He was succeeded, at his own request, by motorsports author and historian George Levy, a longtime MSHFA board member.
The organisation's stated mission is to "further the American core values of leadership, creativity, originality, teamwork and spirit of competition embodied in motorsports." It is operated by the nonprofit Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame of America Foundation Inc.
Induction eligibility is open to individuals who have participated in driving, piloting, owning, designing, building, supporting, maintaining, preparing, or promoting motorized vehicles to pursue speed, distance, or other records. Candidates must either have been retired for at least three years or have been actively engaged at the highest level of their motorsports discipline for at least 20 years. Induction is restricted to United States citizens or non-citizens who have achieved notable motorsports accomplishments within the US.
Induction is decided by a straight vote among 200 racing experts: historians, experienced journalists, category experts, and existing inductees. The voting process is overseen by certified accountants. Every year there are two rounds: the first, conducted among a 100-voter nominating committee, determines six finalists in each category; the second, open to all 200 voters, decides that year's inductee in each category. Each inductee receives the "Horsepower" award — an original bronze statuette by Ann Arbor, Michigan sculptor Michael Curtis.
The inaugural 1989 class featured Cannon Ball Baker (Motorcycles), James Doolittle (Aviation), A.J. Foyt (Open Wheel), Don Garlits (Drag Racing), Phil Hill (Sports Cars), Bill Muncey (Powerboats), Barney Oldfield (Historic), and Richard Petty (Stock Cars).
The annual Induction Ceremony takes place every March in Daytona Beach, Florida, and is attended by motorsports figures past and present. Each inductee is traditionally presented by another prominent figure in the motorsports community. The two-day induction experience includes the Heroes of Horsepower reception held at the MSHFA museum the night before the black-tie ceremony, at which new inductees unveil their permanent Hall of Fame sculptures. The Heritage Luncheon spotlights inductees in the Historic category. The Inductee Breakfast allows the incoming class and returning Hall of Famers to participate in a Q&A session. Admission to all events is open to the public via advance tickets.
At the 2019 ceremony, Jimmie Johnson, Jack Beckman, Don Prudhomme, Scott Dixon, Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Doug Boles, former American Suzuki Vice President Mel Harris, and automotive designer Peter Brock presented Tony Stewart, Don Schumacher, Linda Vaughn, Dario Franchitti, Augie Duesenberg, Kevin Schwantz, and Phil Remington respectively for induction.
The Class of 2020 included Red Byron (Historic), Chris Carr (Motorcycles), Floyd Clymer (At Large), Wally Dallenbach (Open Wheel), Rick Hendrick (Stock Cars), Jacky Ickx (Sports Cars), Tiny Lund (Historic), "Ohio George" Montgomery (Drag Racing), and Ivan "Ironman" Stewart (Off-Road).
The Class of 2023 included Zora Arkus-Duntov, Henry Banks, Dick Burleson, Art Chester, Ray Evernham, Fonty Flock, Darrell Gwynn, Ab Jenkins, and Stephen Olvey and Terry Trammell.
The Class of 2024 included Austin Coil, Scott Dixon, Jim Downing, Dr. Bob Hubbard, Bud Ekins, Jimmie Johnson, Paul Newman, and John Surtees. Scott Dixon was inducted under a special rule waiving the three-year retirement requirement for competitors engaged at the top level for at least 20 years.
The Class of 2025 includes Skip Barber, Miguel Duhamel, Carl Haas, Ed Iskenderian, Dale Jarrett, Tony Schumacher, and Bill Stroppe.
The MSHFA museum on the grounds of Daytona International Speedway welcomes more than 100,000 visitors per year. The museum was originally located in Novi, Michigan — birthplace of the famous Novi Special Indianapolis 500 racecars — and was housed inside a leased hall at the Novi Expo Center from 1994 to 2010. It moved to the Detroit Science Center in Detroit, Michigan from 2010 to 2015 before relocating to Daytona Beach, Florida. The museum is housed within the Ticket and Tours Building at Daytona International Speedway and admission is open daily as part of regular speedway tours.
On display are historic racing vehicles, memorabilia, informational displays, and plaques honoring the MSHFA's more than 260 inductees. The museum also features two movie theaters showing motorsports content.
The MSHFA serves as a research organisation, fielding questions on motorsports topics from journalists, historians, researchers, and individuals via a network of subject experts.
The Induction Ceremony has been attended by major figures throughout its history. Recent honorary chairmen have included Formula 1 CEO Chase Carey, 1978 Formula 1 World Champion Mario Andretti, and 2004 NASCAR Cup Series Champion Kurt Busch. Broadcaster and former driver David Hobbs, a 2009 inductee, emceed the 2019 ceremony. Announcements of each new inductee class are covered by outlets including ESPN, Forbes, INDYCAR, Autoweek, and Racer.
This article is based solely on the supplied corpus. No external sources were consulted; claims that could not be substantiated against the corpus were omitted under the drop-the-claim rule.
Gallery · 2 related images
