BACK TO GALLERIES

New 2019 Hall of Fame nominees

By | Published: March 6, 2018 35

ALLSPORT/ALLSPORT

BACK TO GALLERIES

1 of 35

ALLSPORT/ALLSPORT

Jeff Gordon

Blessed with once-in-a-generation talent and charisma, Jeff Gordon helped take NASCAR from a regional sport to the mainstream.

2 of 35

ISC Archives via Getty Images

Jeff Gordon raced sprint cars on dirt when he was 13 years old.

3 of 35

David Taylor /Allsport

Gordon's debut came at Atlanta in 1992, the same race which served as the end of Richard Petty's career.

4 of 35

Dozier Mobley/Getty Images

Gordon took NASCAR by storm in the 1990s, becoming the youngest driver in the modern era to win a premier series title as a 24-year-old in 1995.

5 of 35

Getty Images

Gordon would win four championships, including this one in 1997.

6 of 35

Craig Jones /Allsport

In 1998, Gordon led the Rainbow Warriors – named for his colorful No. 24 Chevrolet – to a modern era-record 13 wins.

7 of 35

ISC Archives via Getty Images

Overall, he won 93 premier series races, which ranks third on the all-time wins list. Many of them came with longtime crew chief Ray Evernham.

8 of 35

Jamie Squire /Allsport

Gordon is a three-time Daytona 500 champion (including this one in 1999) and won the Brickyard 400 a record five times.

9 of 35

Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images

Jeff Gordon and Rick Hendrick turned Hendrick Motorsports into a powerful four-car operation.

10 of 35

ISC Archives via Getty Images

Charismatic and gifted in front of the camera, he developed one of the sport’s fiercest rivalries with Dale Earnhardt.

11 of 35

Brian Cleary/Getty Images

The confident, youthful Californian served as the foil to the wily, rugged Intimidator.

12 of 35

Jared C. Tilton/NASCAR via Getty Images

Gordon retired from full-time racing as the premier series' 'Iron Man' with a record 797 consecutive starts, and now delivers the sport to its passionate fans as a race analyst for FOX.

13 of 35

Todd Warshaw/NASCAR via Getty Images

His final career win was one for the ages, at Martinsville in 2015.

14 of 35

Jonathan Moore/Getty Images

The win qualified Gordon for the Championship 4 in Miami during his final full-time season.

15 of 35

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

Gordon has experience at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. He helped induct crew chief Ray Evernham in 2018 ...

16 of 35

Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

... and team owner Rick Hendrick in 2017.

17 of 35

ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images

Harry Gant

18 of 35

Racing Photo Archives/Getty Images

Harry Gant was a man with many nicknames: “Handsome Harry” for his good looks, the “Bandit” due his long-time sponsor Skoal Bandit, “Mr. September” after his four consecutive premier series and two Xfinity series wins in September of 1991 and “High Groove Harry” because of his proficiency in taking the high line through the corner.

19 of 35

ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images

Gant won 18 premier series races, including the Southern 500 in 1984 and 1991. The North Carolinian also registered 21 wins in the Xfinity Series.

20 of 35

ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images

In the five seasons from 1981 through 1985, Gant finished in the top five in points four times, including a runner-up championship finish to Terry Labonte in 1984.

21 of 35

Dozier Mobley/Getty Images

Gant maintained his racing prowess into his 50s and holds the premier series records for oldest driver to win a race (52 years old) and pole (54).

22 of 35

ISC Archives via Getty Images

John Holman

23 of 35

ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images

John Holman was considered the mastermind salesman and business manager of the famed Holman-Moody ownership duo.

24 of 35

ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images

Some of the sport’s most legendary figures piloted cars owned by Holman-Moody Racing, including NASCAR Hall of Famers Joe Weatherly, Fred Lorenzen, Fireball Roberts (pictured), Bobby Allison and David Pearson.

25 of 35

ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images

Overall, the Holman-Moody partnership earned 96 wins and 83 poles in 525 premier starts.

26 of 35

ISC Archives via Getty Images

Mario Andretti won the 1967 Daytona 500 driving for the Holman-Moody Ford team.

27 of 35

ISC Archives via Getty Images

The technical brains and organizational money behind the ultra-successful Holman-Moody racing operation was Ralph Moody (left) and John Holman, respectively, shown in their shop.

28 of 35

ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images

Ralph Moody

29 of 35

ISC Archives via Getty Images

The mechanically skilled Moody paired with business-minded John Holman to form Homan-Moody Racing in 1957, forming the foundation of a powerhouse NASCAR team.

30 of 35

ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images

Holman-Moody competed from 1957-73 winning consecutive championships with David Pearson (1968-69) and taking the checkered flag with Mario Andretti at the 1967 Daytona 500.

31 of 35

ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images

Ralph Moody with flagman Hank Woeller after Moody won a mid-1950s NASCAR Modified stock car race.

32 of 35

ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images

Ralph Moody in the early 1960s.

33 of 35

ISC Images & Archives via Getty Images

Ralph Moody in his shop with a 1960 Ford being prepared for the upcoming season.

34 of 35

ISC Archives via Getty Images

Kirk Shelmerdine

Shelmerdine won four total premier series championships with Earnhardt (1986, ’87, ’90, ’91). Over his 16-year crew chief career with Earnhardt, Ricky Rudd, James Hylton and Richard Childress, he won 46 races and posted top-10 finishes in more than half his starts.

35 of 35

Dozier Mobley/Getty Images

In 1987, Shelmerdine won 11 races with Earnhardt, including four in a row and six of seven.