Mon, 13 Dec 2010, 01:12 PM Who Will be the Next Enshrinees in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America?

Courtesy of Motorsports Hall of Fame of America

NOVI, Mich. --

Dale Armstrong

Early this week, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America will introduce its Class of 2011, which will be inducted at the Fillmore Theater in Detroit on August 24, but who will be among the racing luminaries taking the stage that night?

Quarter-milers on the ballot this year are "Blue Max" owner/driver Raymond Beadle, pioneering Funny Car driver Jack Chrisman along with Chrysler Hemi engineer and Ramchargers leader Tom Hoover. Voters are also considering six-time NHRA Pro Stock Champion Warren Johnson, 22-time winner in Funny Car and Top Fuel Ed "The Ace" McCulloch and "The Old Master" engine builder Ed Pink.

In addition to Drag Racing, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America annually honors racing legends in six other categories.

In the Open Wheel category, nominees on the ballot include veteran driver and official Wally Dallenbach, four-time Indy winning owner Chip Ganassi, the first woman to race in the Indianapolis and Daytona 500s Janet Guthrie, and two-time Indy 500 winner "The Flying Dutchman" Arie Luyendyk, Other names being considered by the Voting Panel are Roger McCluskey who won season championships in USAC Indy cars, stock cars and sprint cars, Danny Sullivan who "spun and won" at Indy in 1985, and Alex Zanardi who captured CART titles in 1997 and 1998.

The two-wheel set will be represented on the 2011 ballot by four-time AMA Grand National Champion Everett Brashear, three-time AMA flat track king Ricky Graham, winner of seven AMA motocross and supercross titles Rick Johnson, three-time Daytona 200 winner Richard Klamfoth, the first American 500cc World Motocross Champion Brad Lackey and Bruce Penhall, America's greatest speedway rider.

In the Historic category, voters will choose from NASCAR's first champion Red Byron, motorcycle sidecar racer and open-wheel car builder Pop Dreyer, industrialist and tire pioneer Harvey Firestone, World War II era Indy driver Duke Nalon, mechanic/car builder Ray Nichels, 1955 Indy 500 winner Bob Sweikert, two-time NASCAR Cup Champion Herb Thomas, plus engine designer and carburation specialist Ed Winfield.

The final ballot for the 2011 Stock Car inductee features three members of the "Alabama Gang," Davey and Donnie Allison, plus back-to-back Cola-Cola 600 winner Neil Bonnett. Others who made the cut were team owner extraordinaire Richard Childress, 1970 NASCAR Cup champion Bobby Isaac and 1989 Cup titlist Rusty Wallace.

Who do you like in the At Large Category in 2011? Voter's ballot choices include motorcycle racer turned publisher/historian Floyd Clymer, the original radio voice of the Indianapolis 500 Sid Collins, off-road drivers Walker Evans and Ivan "Iron Man" Stewart, the "First Lady" of motorsports Linda Vaughn, plus Car & Driver editor, commentator and author Brock Yates.

Sports Car contenders who made the 2011 ballot consist of IMSA founder John Bishop, the "Kansas City Flash" Masten Gregory, four-time Trans Am Champion Tommy Kendall, 1960 SCCA Champion Augie Pabst, Chaparral driver and team manager Hap Sharp, as well as Bob Tullius the force behind the legendary "Group 44" teams in SCCA and IMSA.

This year's ballot is a result of an earlier voting by the Motorsports Hall of Fame's permanent Nominating Committee, which consists of experts with an outstanding general knowledge of motorsports and/or are especially knowledgeable in specific categories. Finalists were selected from a Master List of 193 eligible candidates.

Nominees receiving the most votes in each category upon final count of the ballots will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. The class will be announced in early December and the induction will take place at the Fillmore Theater in Detroit on August 24, 2011.