The NASCAR Hall of Fame kicked off 2023 with the coveted Induction Ceremony, honoring three legendary NASCAR competitors. During the ceremony, held in the Crown Ballroom at the Charlotte Convention Center, the NASCAR Hall of Fame officially enshrined Hershel McGriff, Matt Kenseth and Kirk Shelmerdine, comprising the 13th class of Hall of Famers. Now home to 61 racing legends, the newly updated Hall of Honor exhibit includes iconic memorabilia from each of the three new inductees.
“We are filled with excitement and gratitude following an incredible weekend celebrating the honorees’ landmark achievements, alongside their families, friends and fans,” said Winston Kelley, Executive Director of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. “It is an honor to recognize their incredible accomplishments in the sport and we are humbled to have the responsibility of firmly placing their contributions to the sport in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, as the recognized home for honoring NASCAR’s legends.”
Class of 2023 Inductees:
Hershel McGriff
Hershel McGriff’s first race was the 1950 Southern 500, in the NASCAR Cup Series’ sophomore season, at the age of 22. His final NASCAR race was at Tucson Speedway in the NASCAR Pro Series West – in 2018 at the age of 90. McGriff started 85 races in parts of 28 NASCAR Cup Series seasons, capturing four wins – all in 1954, when he finished sixth in championship points. But McGriff was one of the best drivers in what is now known as the ARCA Menards Series West. Competing in parts of 35 seasons, McGriff won 37 races, good for third on the all-time West Series wins list. His signature year came in 1986 when he won the series title, part of a string of 10 consecutive seasons with finishes in the top 10 of championship points. In 1998, McGriff was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers.
Matt Kenseth
Over 18 full-time seasons Matt Kenseth quietly filled his trophy cases, conquering every major milestone on the Cup Series schedule including two Daytona 500s, the Southern 500, Coca-Cola 600 and the All-Star Race. His 39 Cup wins tie for 21st on the all-time list and include wins at 19 of the 23 tracks at which he competed more than once. His crowning achievement was his 2003 Cup Series championship, a thoroughly impressive season in which he led the points standings for the final 32 weeks of the season. And though he ‘only’ captured that one title, Kenseth was consistently in championship contention – he made the Playoffs in 13 of 14 seasons and finished runner-up twice.
Kirk Shelmerdine
Not many reach the pinnacle of their professions as quickly as Kirk Shelmerdine. At age 25 in 1983, Shelmerdine guided Ricky Rudd to victory at Riverside, the first of two wins during that season. And a scant three years later, he directed Dale Earnhardt to the 1986 Cup Series championship. Shelmerdine won four total Cup Series championships with Earnhardt (1986, ’87, ’90, ’91). Over his 16-year crew chief career with Earnhardt, Rudd, James Hylton and Richard Childress, he won 46 races and posted top-10 finishes in more than half his starts. Shelmerdine retired from life as a crew chief in 1992 to pursue a career as a driver. In the cockpit, he made 41 starts across all three NASCAR national series.
In addition to the three inductees enshrined in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, two awards were given throughout the celebratory weekend:
- Mike Helton was honored as the eighth recipient of the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR. Mike is easily one of the most familiar faces and names in the NASCAR community. The first person outside the France family to be named NASCAR President (in 2000), he started his leadership career with the sport back in 1980 and following his time as NASCAR President was named Vice Chairman in 2015 and currently serves as Senior Advisor and Chairman of the NASCAR Foundation. His nearly five-decade long career in the sport has been spent working in a wide variety of jobs. His hard work on the competition side of the sport included a push to increase safety standards – something NASCAR took the lead on and continues to revolutionize today. His influence is also seen in the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, N.C. – the first such facility owned and operated by a racing sanctioning body.
- T. Taylor Warren was the recipient of the 2023 Squier-Hall Award for NASCAR Media Excellence. Warren is the first photojournalist to win the prestigious award and his famous photograph of the 1959 Daytona 500 helped determine the winner of the race. In addition to his work for NASCAR and tracks, Warren shot photos for several racing magazines, most notably Southern MotoRacing.
During Induction Weekend, the NASCAR Hall of Fame offered extensive public programming including a brunch with Hall of Famers, Victory Lap with the Class of 2021, an Insider Experience in the High-Octane Theater ahead of the ceremony and the Dine & Shine red carpet. Additional images from the weekend of activities can be found here.
For more information about the NASCAR Hall of Fame and to plan a trip to visit the new Hall of Honor exhibit, visit nascarhall.com.
About NASCAR Hall of Fame
Located in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is an interactive, entertainment attraction honoring the history and heritage of NASCAR. The high-tech venue, designed to educate and entertain race fans and non-fans alike, includes artifacts, hands-on exhibits, a 278-person state-of-the-art theater, Hall of Honor, Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant and the NASCAR Hall of Fame Gear Shop. Opened on May 11, 2010, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is owned by the City of Charlotte, licensed by NASCAR and operated by the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority. For more information, visit nascarhall.com.
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