Jeff Gordon Among Inductees Honoured at Motorsports Hall of Fame

DAYTONA BEACH, FL – Four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon was among those new inductees honoured at the 30th annual Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSFHA) Induction Ceremony Presented by Bridgestone Tuesday evening at The Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach. The ceremony increased the MSHFA inductee list to 244, encompassing motorcycles, stock cars, sports cars, open-wheel, drag racing, land speed records, powerboating, off-road and aviation racing. For Gordon, the honour is the first of what is expected to be a long list of similar accolades in his retirement from NASCAR competition.

In addition to Gordon, this year’s inductee class includes drag racing car builder John Buttera; Indianapolis Motor Speedway founder Carl G. Fisher; record-setting pilot – and renowned billionaire – Howard Hughes; motorcycle great Fred Merkel; three-time Indianapolis 500 champion owner U.E. “Pat” Patrick; and sports car legend Bob Tullius.

Andretti, a MSHFA inductee himself (1990) opened the evening with a keynote speech. Gordon, in his second year of retirement from Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series competition and now a commentator on FOX, was the last inductee honored.

This year marks the third consecutive year the induction ceremony has been held in Daytona Beach. The MSHFA moved to Daytona International Speedway in 2016, from Novi, Michigan. The hall is housed in the speedway’s expansive Ticket and Tours Building located in front of the famed 2.5 DIS tri-oval.

Following is more information about the 2018 class of inductees:

• John Buttera – “Lil John” built championship-winning dragsters, funny cars and pro stocks for the biggest names in the sport in the 1960s and ‘70s, including Danny Ongais, Don “The Snake” Prudhomme, Tom “Mongoose” McEwen and Don Schumacher. The late Buttera was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2010.

• Carl G. Fisher – The late Carl Graham Fisher is best known as the man who created iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The Greensburg, Indiana native persuaded business associates to join him in the 1909 construction of IMS, serving as its president until 1923. Fisher was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1971 and the Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 1952.

• Jeff Gordon – Gordon is third all-time in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories (93) behind Richard Petty (200) and David Pearson (105). He ranks fourth all-time in Monster Energy Series championships with four (1995, ‘97, ‘98, 2001), behind seven-time champions Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson. Gordon was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998.

• Howard Hughes – The late Howard Robard Hughes Jr. formed Hughes Aircraft in 1932, set numerous records and built some of the world’s most advanced planes. His aviation awards included the Harmon Trophy (1936, ’38), Collier Trophy, FAI Bibesco Cup (1938), Octave Chanute Award (1940) and a 1939 Congressional Gold Medal for achievements in advancing the science of aviation. He was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1973.

• Fred Merkel – “Flying Fred” is an American road racing legend, winning two FIM Superbike World Championships (1988-89), three AMA Superbike Championships (1984-86) and setting multiple records along the way. In 1983, he registered the first of his 20 AMA Superbike victories, a record that stood until 1998. The charismatic Merkel was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame in 2001.

• U.E. “Pat” Patrick – “Pat” Patrick made his fortune as a wildcat oilman and made his mark in open-wheel racing. His teams won three Indianapolis 500s and two IndyCar titles. Patrick was also among the car owners who established the breakaway Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) sanctioning body. He was inducted into the Auto Racing Hall of Fame in 2016.

• Bob Tullius – Tullius created the model for the modern American amateur sports car team and built Group 44, Inc. into one of the most successful ever. The two-time Trans-Am and four-time SCCA national champion began his career in the early 1960s driving white Triumph TR4s wearing No. 44. Over the next 25-plus years, green-and-white Group 44, Inc. cars would net more than 300 victories in club racing, Trans-Am and IMSA GTP competition. Tullius was inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame in 2014.

About the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America:
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) held its first induction ceremony in 1989; the facility was headquartered in Novi, Michigan from 1989-2015 and relocated to Daytona Beach, Florida in 2016. The MSHFA is the only hall of fame that encompasses the full spectrum of American motorsports: cars, motorcycles, off-road, powerboats and airplanes. The overriding mission of the MSHFA is to celebrate and instill the American core values of leadership, creativity, originality, teamwork and spirit of competition embodied in motorsports. The MSHFA is operated by the nonprofit Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame of America Foundation Inc.

source – MSFHA online