Motorsports Hall of Fame of America Names 10 Inductees for 2027 Class
Every year the MSHFA manages to up its inductees, as they’ve done with this class of racers. The duty of naming the inductees came to the group’s president, Daren Lucas, who noted, “The Class of 2027 is as accomplished as any group of iconic motorsports inductees in our nearly 40-year history. All are still revered and admired today, and their legacies and achievements will now be forever memorialized at the Hall of Fame of ALL motorsports,” he said. “Congratulations to the Class of 2027!”
In alphabetical order, the inductees are four-time INDYCAR race winner and multiple USAC champion Gary Bettenhausen in the Open Wheel category, three-time NHRA Funny Car titleholder and team owner Ron Capps for Drag Racing, Rob Dyson, who founded and drove for Dyson Racing in Sports Cars, two-time Daytona 500 champ and 15-time consecutive NASCAR Most Popular Driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Stock Cars), Herb Fishel, who led GM’s successful racing operations for decades (Business), two-time Indianapolis 500-winning car owner and three-time second-place finishing driver at the Brickyard Harry Hartz in the Hall’s Historic class, Steve Hinton (Aviation), who was a two-time Unlimited Air Racing champion and world speed record-setter for piston-engine planes, three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle champion, who’s chalked up 46 class wins, Angelle Sampey (Motorcycles), Lyn St. James (At Large), who is the first woman to win the Indianapolis 500’s Rookie of the Year award and, finally, one of NASCAR’s most successful engine builders, Robert Yates (Stock Cars), who recorded 57 victories as a team owner.
As the inductees were read by Lucas, joined by INDYCAR president J. Douglas Boles and IMSA president John Doonan in the Dan Gurney Media Center at the Long Beach track, one of the nominees was surprised to find her name included among the inductees: Lyn St. James attended the press conference as co-founder and past president of Women in Motorsports North America (WIMNA). As her name was called she was invited to the podium. She joins Sampey as the first women inductees since the late sports car driver/journalist Denise McCluggage (also an At Large joiner), who was enshrined in 2022. As of next March, when the ceremonies occur, there will be a total of 13 women in the Hall.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. joins his father Dale (2002) in the Hall, as both he and Gary Bettenhausen increase the father-son inductees to a total of 10 families: Gary joins father Tony (1997), while last year Kenny Roberts Jr. joined his father Kenny, who was part of the 1990 class. Other father-son duos in this Hall of Fame are Mario and Michael Andretti, Lee and Richard Petty, Al Unser Sr. and Al Unser Jr., Bobby and Davey Allison, Bill France Sr. and Bill France Jr., Don and Tony Schumacher, together with Ned and Dale Jarrett.
The 10 new Class of 2027 honorees formally receive entry to the Motorsports Hall Of Fame of America during their annual induction celebration, whose apogee is the black-tie gala, ending a two-day celebration. The induction ceremony is preceded a night prior with the traditional “Heroes of Horsepower” reception and strolling dinner on the premises of the MSHFA museum. Last month’s 2026 inductees brought the number of “Heroes of Horsepower” to 314; next year’s inductees will grow that number to 324 with the 39th Induction Class.