Voting process revealed for Hall of Fame induction

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR announced on Thursday the annual induction process for the Hall of Fame, scheduled to open in Charlotte, N.C., in 2010.

The yearly HOF classes will have five inductees selected by a voting panel consisting of NASCAR industry leaders, manufacturer representatives, former competitors, the media and fans. Inductees will be chosen from an annual list of no more than 25 candidates. The main criteria for nomination and induction: NASCAR accomplishments and contributions to the sport.

The Hall of Fame will bring NASCAR's history to life and preserves that history in the appropriate environments. The facility will allow fans to have the opportunity to relive the sport's greatest moments.

• More on the Hall of Fame

To be eligible, former drivers must have competed 10 years in NASCAR and be retired from racing for a minimum of three years. Non-drivers must have worked at least 10 years in the industry. (Potential candidates with shorter careers may be considered if there are special circumstances.)

"With the excitement already building about the physical layout of the Hall of Fame, this will add to the excitement on another front, regarding this impressive, historic project," NASCAR chairman Brian France said. "We have established an orderly induction process that is inclusive, involving various industry constituencies -- most importantly, the fans."

After a 20-member nominating committee selects its list of candidates, the voting will entail a total of 48 ballots. Twenty ballots will be from the nominating committee; 27 ballots will come from a group consisting of former drivers, former owners, former crew chiefs, manufacturer representatives and media; one ballot will represent the results of a nationwide fan vote.

Plans call for the inaugural list of candidates to be announced in June. Voting will be completed by Sept. 15, with the results announced in October. The first induction is scheduled for May 2010 when the Cup Series comes to Charlotte for the All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600.

In addition, NASCAR's Board of Directors will designate a special Hall of Fame exhibit, coinciding with the hall's opening, honoring the sport's "Founding Members" -- individuals who helped build the sport from its roots, enabling current accomplishments. Founding Members will be permanently recognized at the HOF and the original group can be added to, in the future. Founding Members will be eligible for HOF nomination.

Hall of Fame Induction Process
Nominating Committee (20 members)
• Seven NASCAR representatives.
• NASCAR Hall of Fame Executive Director.
• NASCAR Hall of Fame Historian.
• Two track owners from International Speedway Corporation.
• Two track owners from Speedway Motorsports Incorporated.
• Track owner from Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
• Track owner from Dover International Speedway.
• Track owner from Pocono Raceway.
• Four track owners from historic short tracks: Bowman-Gray Speedway in Winston-Salem, N.C.; Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C.; Riverhead Raceway in Riverhead, N.Y; and Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in Irwindale, Calif.

Voting Committee (47 members plus one fan vote)
• 20 members of the nominating committee.
• 14 media representatives: Three each from the National Motorsports Press Association, the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Eastern Motorsports Press Association; one each from FOX, Turner Sports, ESPN, MRN and PRN.
• One representative each from Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford and Toyota.
• Three retired drivers.
• Three retired owners.
• Three retired crew chiefs.
• Fan vote.