Editor's note: NASCAR.com's Zack Albert is among the 60 voting members -- including the fan vote -- casting ballots to elect the NASCAR Hall of Fame's Class of 2019. This year marks his first time participating in Voting Day. Here, he reveals the reasoning behind the five choices on his ballot, a handful of honorable mentions and his pick for the Landmark Award.
Class of 2019 Selections:
Jeff Gordon -- The four-time champion could waltz into enshrinement based on the stellar statistics alone. But beyond the 93 wins, records and accomplishments, Gordon had a reach that extended beyond the sport's bubble, a charisma that made him a star on many stages. Absolute slam-dunk first-ballot Hall of Famer.
Davey Allison -- It's hard to measure Allison's impact solely on statistics, but in his brief time driving at the premier-series level, he rose into a beloved fan favorite and one of the sport's most talented. Joining his longtime team owner, 2018 inductee Robert Yates, seems overdue, even in just his second year on the ballot.
RELATED: Jeff Gordon leads powerhouse 2019 class | Hall of Fame Class of 2019 through the yearsAlan Kulwicki -- The story of Kulwicki's stunning Cinderella journey to the 1992 championship as a driver-owner remains a dramatic piece of NASCAR lore. That legacy should be more than enough to offset and overcome the statistical gap (five career wins) that's kept him from an earlier induction.
Roger Penske -- The selections get harder with a thicket of deserving team owners among the 20 nominees. But give a salute here to The Captain, who has made an enormous footprint in all of motorsport, as a winning team owner, businessman and speedway mogul.
Buddy Baker -- The last pick was the toughest, with strong consideration given to Jack Roush and Waddell Wilson among the decorated field of nominees. The nod, however, goes to Baker and his flat-out career that included 19 wins, twice as many pole positions, a Daytona 500 crown, and a claim to fame of being the first to cross the 200-mph threshold on a closed course.
Landmark Award
Jim Hunter -- Another exceedingly difficult choice from a worthy field of five, but the vote goes to Hunter, whose wide-ranging career spanned the roles of journalist, marketing expert, track president and NASCAR executive, touching many lives throughout the sport.