What’s Happening?

On Tuesday afternoon, NASCAR unveiled the Hall of Fame Class of 2025. Here is everything you need to know about the newest members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the biggest snubs from it.

It’s our honor to introduce the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2025 Inductees Carl Edwards, Ralph Moody and Ricky Rudd. ]

Learn more about the Class of 2025 Inductees: https://t.co/8sw5XeDLXy#ForeverLegends #NASCAR #NASCARHall #NASCARHOF pic.twitter.com/zptDx0WxdQ

— NASCAR Hall of Fame (@NASCARHall) May 21, 2024

• In this article, we will break down all of the Class members. We will also highlight one member from each class who was “Snubbed.”
• Since the Hall of Fame was founded in 2010, drivers, crew chiefs, and contributors have all been elected. This year, there are 10 nominees for the Modern Era Ballot and 5 each for the Pioneer Ballot and the Landmark Award. Two will be elected from the Modern Era Ballot, with one each from the Pioneer Ballot and the Landmark Award.
• Fans are excited for those who got into the Hall of Fame. However, this class was notorious for being very close with no surefire pick. This means that some fans are unhappy with which nominees got snubbed.

The Nominees

Carl Edwards: Modern Era Ballot

A fan favorite who many feel retired too soon, Carl Edwards is a 28-time Cup Series winner and a member of the 75 Greatest Drivers List. Edwards is known for his close Championship calls, but that meant he was always a factor. In 12 full-time seasons, Edwards finished in the top-5 in points six times. All of this came after he worked as a substitute teacher and handed out business cards in the garage to get his big break.

Ricky Rudd: Modern Era Ballot

Ricky Rudd, nicknamed “Iron Man,” had a career marked by one word: consistency. He started every Cup Series race from 1981 through 2005 and won at least one race per season from 1985 to 1998. He did so for multiple car owners like Bud Moore and Rick Hendrick and even as an owner-driver.

Ralph Moody: Pioneer Ballot

Ralph Moody owned the iconic Holman-Moody race team in the early days of NASCAR. He won 96 races and 2 Championships, with iconic drivers like David Pearson, Curtis Turner, Bobby Allison Fred Lorenzon, and Fireball Roberts driving for him.

Dr. Dean Sticking: Landmark Award

Dr. Dean Sticking owns 30 patents, but, his most famous invention has truly saved lives. He worked alongside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to invent the Steel and Foam Energy Reduction Barrier (SAFER Barrier) in the wake of Dale Earnhardt’s death in 2001. The invention has saved countless lives and prevented countless injuries across all forms of motorsports.

The Biggest Snubs

Tim Brewer: Modern Era Ballot

Tim Brewer was Junior Johnson’s right-hand man as a crew chief for many years. He won 53 races and two Championships in his career, including two titles with Cale Yarborough in 1978 and Darrell Waltrip in 1981. After he retired, he also won an Emmy as a broadcaster with ESPN.

Banjo Matthews: Pioneer Ballot

According to NASCAR, Banjo Matthews was a legendary car builder whose cars won 262 of 362 Cup Series races from 1974 until 1985. His cars also carried Cale Yarborough to 3 consecutive Cup Series Championships from 1976-78. Unfortunately this was not his year, and he failed to make the Hall of Fame after his 2nd year on the ballot.

Lesa France Kennedy: Landmark Award

Lesa France Kennedy is one of the most influential women in modern NASCAR. She is NASCAR’s current Executive Vice Chair and took over as President of International Speedway Corporation from her father, Bill France Jr., in 2003. While this was not her year, she will certainly be recognized in the Hall of Fame in some capacity someday.

The induction ceremony will occur on February 7, 2025, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Uptown Charlotte.