2016 NMPA Hall of Fame Inductees Named

Joe Gibbs

The National Motorsports Press Association Hall of Fame is filled with some of the most legendary names in Motorsports history. Last week the 2016 induction class was announced and it’s safe to say that there are going to be a few more legends going into the hall in the upcoming class.

The 2016 induction class will consist of Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs and Al Unser. Below is a quick look at some of the accomplishments that allowed for all three of these men to earn their spot in the Hall of Fame.

Joe Gibbs

• 23 seasons in NASCAR as a team owner (Joe Gibbs Racing).
• 4 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships as an owner, the most recent being with Kyle Busch (2015).
• 4 Xfinity Series Owner championships.
• 1 Xfinity Series Driver championship.

Rick Hendrick

• 32 years in NASCAR.
• 14 driver championships in NASCAR (11 in the Sprint Cup Series).
• 14 owner championships across NASCAR’s three national series.
• HMS is the most valuable team in terms of worth in NASCAR according to Forbes in 2014.

Al Unser Sr.

Al Unser

• Four Indy 500 victories.
• One of only four drivers to win the Indy 500 on four separate occasions.
• 40 wins in 337 IndyCar starts.
• Three top-10 finishes in only five NASCAR races.

Aside from the three men above, there were a couple of other candidates that did not receive the nod to get into the Hall of Fame in 2016 but did receive votes. Missing the cut but still receiving votes were Kirk Shelmerdine and Rick Mears. Mears won four Indy 500’s and is a three-time IndyCar champion, accomplishments that many felt would surely get him inducted in 2016. Shelmerdine was a crew chief during the NASCAR Winston Cup era where he won a championship.