Dale Earnhardt Jr. is a step closer to NASCAR immortality.
Earnhardt on Tuesday was one of 15 people nominated for the 2021 NASCAR Hall of Fame class. The list of nominees features five first-timers, including Earnhardt, Jeff Burton and Carl Edwards. NASCAR also introduced the Modern Era and Pioneer Ballots.
Here’s the full list of Hall of Fame nominees, as well as the Landmark Award nominees, via NASCAR.com:
Modern Era Ballot
Neil Bonnett — won 18 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including consecutive Coca-Cola 600 victories
Jeff Burton — won 21 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including the Southern 500 and two Coca-Cola 600s
Dale Earnhardt Jr. — 15-time NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver and two-time Xfinity Series champion
Carl Edwards — winner of 28 NASCAR Cup Series races and 2007 Xfinity Series champion
Harry Gant — winner of 18 NASCAR Cup Series races, including two Southern 500 victories
Harry Hyde — 1970 NASCAR Cup Series championship crew chief
Larry Phillips — first five-time NASCAR weekly series national champion
Ricky Rudd — won 23 times in NASCAR Cup Series, including the 1997 Brickyard 400
Kirk Shelmerdine — four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief
Mike Stefanik — winner of record-tying nine NASCAR championships
Pioneer Ballot
Jake Elder — three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion crew chief
Red Farmer — three-time NASCAR Late Model Sportsman champion; 1956 Modified champion
Banjo Matthews — built cars that won more than 250 NASCAR Cup Series races and three championships
Hershel McGriff — 1986 NASCAR West Series champion
Ralph Moody — two-time NASCAR Cup Series owner champion as mechanical genius of Holman-Moody
Landmark Award
Janet Guthrie — the first female driver to compete in a NASCAR Cup Series superspeedway race
Alvin Hawkins — NASCAR’s first flagman; established NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium with Bill France Sr.
Mike Helton — named third president of NASCAR in 2000; career included track operator roles at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway
Dr. Joseph Mattioli — founder of Pocono Raceway
Ralph Seagraves — formed groundbreaking Winston-NASCAR partnership as executive with R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
The 2021 NASCAR Hall of Fame class will consist of two inductees from the Modern Era Ballot and one from the Pioneer Ballot.
