RELATED: 2018 NASCAR Hall of Fame Class unveiled | NASCAR.com’s ballot

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A nod to the past and to the not-so-distant past.

Red Byron. Ray Evernham. Ron Hornaday Jr. Ken Squier. Robert Yates.

NASCAR’s Hall of Fame class for 2018.

Announced Wednesday in the Great Hall of the Hall of Fame, next year’s group of five inductees spans the history of NASCAR.

From Byron, NASCAR’s first Modified (1948) and Strictly Stock (now the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup) Series champion (1949) to Evernham and Hornaday, whose exploits in their respective areas remain fresh in the mind. Wasn’t it just yesterday Evernham was atop the pit box with a young kid named Jeff Gordon and Hornaday was soon dominating the Camping World Truck Series?

Squier, who seems as if he’s been there from the beginning, his delivery behind the microphone setting the perfect stage while documenting so much history.

And Yates? Good grief, did anyone in the garage put more time and effort, more sweat and tears into NASCAR than Yates? He enjoyed the highest of highs and suffered some of the lowest of lows. A 40-year career. “The best 40 years,” the noted engine builder and team owner said.

This year’s class was again determined by 58 voters made up of the nominating committee, the voting committee and a single overall vote determined by fans.

A three-hour or so discussion was lively and educational and perhaps more spirited than in years past. Each of the 20 nominees were discussed, but it soon became apparent that most in the room had zeroed in on a handful of names.

Weighing their accomplishments, their careers, and then deciding how those records stack up against so many others? It’s an honor but it’s also extremely difficult.

As in previous years, you leave the room feeling you’ve got a pretty good idea of how the votes will turn out, but you’re never quite sure.

And then the names are announced and you see the surprise in their eyes and you talk with them and you come to understand how much it really means.

Squier never lobbied for induction, feeling the Squier-Hall Award, named in his honor and shared with the late MRN announcer Barney Hall, was enough of an honor for a lifetime of outstanding work.

His feelings hadn’t changed, he said, once his name was called Wednesday evening.

“I never thought they belonged, the media, with the drivers that put their asses in those cars and drove them so very, very well when they were pretty rough handling pieces of machinery,” Squier said. “They were heroes. They were American heroes.”

Hornaday? He said he wasn’t even aware voting day had arrived and for a guy who still races on dirt, attending was more a matter of supporting those whose names were called.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “My wife should be standing here. She’s the trooper; she’s the one that did all this. I was done racing because somebody stole our tool box and she saved the $1,700 to buy the tool box and new helmet and stuff to go racing.”

Smart woman. Hornaday fared well enough to grab the attention of team owner Dale Earnhardt, for whom he eventually won two Camping World Truck Series titles, and later team owner Kevin Harvick, for whom he won two more.

“I came from the day when you didn’t have a cell phone and had to get a dime or a quarter to call your mom or dad at home and tell them you won,” Hornaday said. “It’s changed a lot. I was racing and now I’m in the Hall of Fame. I hope they have a big enough picture for my wife because she deserves to be in it.”

Evernham, reached by phone in Indianapolis, called it “an overwhelming feeling.”

“I keep thinking back to that kid in New Jersey that all he wanted was to race and now you’re telling me I’m going to be in the Hall of Fame with guys that have been my heroes for so many years,” he said. “I’m honestly just blown away.”

A three-time champion as crew chief for Gordon, Evernham went on to become a team owner where his drivers won 13 times.

“I don’t know whether to cheer, to smile, or to cry,” Evernham said. “I have never felt an overrun of emotions like this. It’s been a 40-year career and let’s face it, the Hall of Fame is the biggest thing that can happen to you in your career when people really recognize you for making a difference in the sport or for something you have done.”

Yates has been on the list of nominees for four years. He’s been on the cusp of selection enough times to make him wonder if he would ever hear his name called.

Batting liver cancer, the 74-year-old tried to keep his emotions in check as he spoke with the media afterward.

“Sitting here today, I said, ‘Look, I’m struggling with some stuff. But if I don’t get in, that’s a reason to work real hard to be here next year to get in,’ ” Yates admitted. “That’s the way I tried to look at it.”

And when NASCAR Vice Chairman Mike Helton announced his name, Yates was overwhelmed.

“I’ve been sixth every year or so,” he said, choking back tears. “Wow. I don’t know. My family means so much to me because they allowed me to work night and day and never told me to come home at three in the morning.

“I always said I never outsmarted them, I just outworked them.”

Ray Alfalla won his second straight NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series race of 2017 at Charlotte Motor Speedway Tuesday night to move to the top of the series points race. The three-time series champion passed Taylor Hurst with 16 laps remaining, then held-off Cody Byus over the final laps to take the checkered flag. Alfalla led 108 of 200 laps and was the class of the field for most of the race. Byus was second at the checkers, 1.5 seconds behind the winner. Bobby Zalenski finished third after playing strategy to take the lead in the later stages, while polesitter Dylan Duval came home fourth as Hurst faded to fifth after losing the lead.

Alfalla wasted no time moving up from his fifth starting position and took the lead shortly after the initial start. However, Duval had the best car early and regained the lead from Alfalla on Lap 17. The pair continued to run 1-2 until both pitted for tires and fuel on Lap 39, handing the lead to Corey Vincent who chose to stay out longer before his stop.

When Vincent pitted and the pit cycle completed Alfalla returned to the point and this time he had a healthy gap on Duval and the rest of the field.

The second run was about as clean as the first except this time Alfalla dominated before he and Duval short-pitted a second time, handing Vincent the lead once again.

This time a caution flew before the cycle completed with Vincent in the lead. Meanwhile, Alfalla and Duval found themselves mired in traffic and would have to work to regain their track position.

On the Lap 97 restart Alfalla wasted little time regaining the lead from his third place starting position as he tried to distance himself from the rest of the field once again. Duval found the going a bit tougher and was mired in the back half of the top ten as passing proved difficult as the run wore on.

After a flurry of cautions many of the leaders decided to pit for fresh virtual rubber as tire wear was an issue despite the overcast conditions. Zalenski and some others stayed out while Alfalla, Duval and erstwhile series point leader Ryan Luza all pitted and restarted outside the top 10.

Alfalla and Duval both started to charging forward but a massive crash swept up Luza, heavily damaging his car and relegating him to a 32nd-place finish. After the green flew again Alfalla’s four fresh tires allowed him to quickly move back to the front before yet another caution slowed the pace again.

This time, Alfalla was not untouchable on the short run as Hurst passed him on the outside with 21 laps to go. Alfalla was not to be denied though and fought back, retaking the lead for the final time on Lap 185 as Hurst’s car faded on the long run.

Alfalla’s victory vaulted him into the championship lead and he now leads Zalenski by seven points. Luza is third after his poor finish and now finds himself 31 points back of the lead. Darik Bourdeau and Logan Clampitt round out the top five.

Pocono Raceway is next up on the NASCAR PEAK Antifreeze Series schedule and Alfalla will look to keep his momentum going as the series visits the Tricky Triangle. Can Luza recover from his poor finish at Charlotte, or will Alfalla continue to stretch his margin? Find out in two weeks’ time on iRacingLive!