Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide/Justice League Chevrolet, poses with the Great American Sweethearts during the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame luncheon benefitting Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter after being inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame at Texas Motor Speedway on November 4, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)
FORT WORTH, Texas – Dale Earnhardt Jr. was inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame on Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., driver of the #88 Nationwide/Justice League Chevrolet, speaks with Texas Motor Speedway president, Eddie Gossage, during the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame luncheon benefitting Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter after being inducted into the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame at Texas Motor Speedway on November 4, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)
Some 500 fans saw Earnhardt Jr. become the 19th member to be inducted during a special ceremony held in The Grand Ballroom of The Speedway Club.
Other honorees during the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame event included Vice Chairman of NASCAR Mike Helton, Texas Motor Speedway’s winningest NASCAR driver Kyle Busch and Verizon IndyCar Series driver James Hinchcliffe.
Helton received the Bruton Smith Legend Award for his leadership in his role as NASCAR President and shaping the legacy of the sport. Helton was instrumental in expanding NASCAR to new markets, both nationally and internationally. New tracks in Chicago and Kansas City were added to NASCAR’s schedule in 2001. Later, NASCAR’s presence grew with the addition of series in Mexico and Canada in 2007. He also was a key figure in the formation of the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, N.C. Dedicated to strengthening NASCAR’s competition and safety initiatives, it is the first R&D center owned and operated by a sanctioning body of a major motorsports series.
A detail of a Dale Earnhardt Jr. placard during the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame luncheon benefitting Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter at Texas Motor Speedway on November 4, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)
Busch was honored with the 2016 Racer of the Year award following yet another impressive overall performance at Texas Motor Speedway last season. For the second time in his career, Busch swept both the Cup and XFINITY Series races at Texas in the same weekend after winning April’s Duck Commander 500 and O’Reilly Auto Parts 300. The wins were his 12th and 13th at Texas Motor Speedway among NASCAR’s three national series, the most among any driver.
Hinchcliffe’s handling of a heart-breaking defeat in the 2016 Firestone 600 earned him the Texas Motor Speedway Sportsmanship Award. Graham Rahal made a dramatic last-lap pass of Hinchcliffe to win by 0.0080 of a second, the closest finish in Texas Motor Speedway history. Hinchcliffe exemplified the ideals of sportsmanship following the race, handling the loss with class and dignity following a difficult defeat.
Some information provided courtesy of TMS Media Relations
Photos provided courtesy of Getty Images and Texas Motor Speedway
George Riba shakes hands with Texas Motor Speedway president, Eddie Gossage, during the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame luncheon benefitting Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter at Texas Motor Speedway on November 4, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)
Texas Motor Speedway president, Eddie Gossage, stands with Vice chairman of NASCAR, Mike Helton, during the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame luncheon benefitting Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter at Texas Motor Speedway on November 4, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)
Vice chairman of NASCAR, Mike Helton, poses with the Great American Sweethearts during the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame luncheon benefitting Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter at Texas Motor Speedway on November 4, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)
A detailed view of awards during the Texas Motorsports Hall of Fame luncheon benefitting Speedway Children’s Charities-Texas Chapter at Texas Motor Speedway on November 4, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Sarah Crabill/Getty Images for Texas Motor Speedway)
Mike Haag has covered motorsports in San Antonio and South Texas for more than 39 years. In addition to covering motorsports for the San Antonio Express-News for nearly 28 years, Mike also has co-hosted TrackSmack with Dawn Murphy for 19 race seasons. In addition to being a writer, Mike taught high school English and Journalism for 30 years before retiring in May, 2020.
