NASCAR has revealed that Ricky Rudd, Carl Edwards, and Ralph Moody will be the newest members inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame for 2025. Additionally, Dr. Dean Sicking has been honored with the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.
The NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel gathered at the Charlotte Convention Center in a private session to deliberate and vote on the 15 nominees for the 2025 induction class and the five nominees for the Landmark Award.
The Modern Era ballot featured ten nominees selected by the Nominating Committee, while the Honors Committee chose five nominees for the Pioneer ballot, focusing on individuals whose careers began in 1965 or earlier. Starting with the Class of 2021, each Hall of Fame class includes two inductees from the Modern Era ballot and one from the Pioneer ballot.
Votes were cast by the Voting Panel, which included representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, major and historic short track owners, media members, manufacturer representatives, competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), industry leaders, a nationwide fan vote via NASCAR.com, and the last two NASCAR Cup Series champions, Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson. A total of 62 votes were counted, with two panel members recused from voting due to potential nomination (Jeff Burton and Ricky Rudd). EY oversaw the vote tabulation.
Rudd received 87% of the Modern Era ballot votes, while Edwards garnered 52%. Harry Gant, Jeff Burton, and Harry Hyde followed in the voting. Ralph Moody topped the Pioneer ballot with 60% of the votes, with Ray Hendrick finishing second. Fan votes via NASCAR.com mirrored these results, with Ray Hendrick, Carl Edwards, and Harry Gant leading their respective categories.
Nominees for the Modern Era ballot included: Greg Biffle, Neil Bonnett, Tim Brewer, Jeff Burton, Randy Dorton, Carl Edwards, Harry Gant, Harry Hyde, Ricky Rudd, and Jack Sprague.
Pioneer ballot nominees were: Ray Hendrick, Banjo Matthews, Ralph Moody, Larry Phillips, and Bob Welborn.
The Landmark Award nominees included Alvin Hawkins, Lesa France Kennedy, Dr. Joseph Mattioli, Les Richter, and Dr. Dean Sicking.
The Class of 2025 Induction Ceremony is set for Friday, February 7, 2025, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Tickets will be available later this month on NASCARHall.com.
Class of 2025 Inductees:
Ricky Rudd
Tough as nails. That’s Ricky Rudd, known as NASCAR’s Ironman for holding the Cup Series record for consecutive starts (788) before Jeff Gordon broke it in 2015. His 906 series starts rank second only to Richard Petty’s 1,185. Over his 32-year Cup Series career, Rudd achieved 23 wins, 194 top fives, 374 top 10s (seventh all-time), and 29 poles. As a driver/owner, he won six races for his Rudd Performance Motorsports team, including the 1997 Brickyard 400. The 1977 Cup Series Rookie of the Year, Rudd finished second in points in 1991 and won at least one race for 16 consecutive seasons (1983-98), tying the third-longest streak in Cup Series history. Rudd is also named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers.
Carl Edwards
“If you’re looking for a driver, you’re looking for me.” Carl Edwards made a name for himself with that phrase on business cards while working as a substitute teacher and chasing his racing career. His persistence paid off, leading to a successful career with Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. Edwards amassed 72 national series victories, often celebrated with a backflip. His quick success in the Truck Series led to full-time rides in both the Cup and Xfinity Series by 2005. Edwards finished in the top two in the Xfinity Series standings for five consecutive years, winning the 2007 championship and 38 races over seven seasons. In the Cup Series, he won 28 races over 13 years, including the Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500 in 2015, and was twice the championship runner-up, including the closest finish in NASCAR history in 2011. Edwards is also named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers.
Ralph Moody
Ralph Moody’s journey began with a Motel T Ford he built and raced in 1935. After serving under General George S. Patton in WWII, he moved to Florida in 1949 to race year-round. Moody won five NASCAR Cup Series races from 1956-57 before partnering with John Holman to form Holman-Moody Racing in 1957. This team became a powerhouse, winning championships with David Pearson in 1968-69 and the 1967 Daytona 500 with Mario Andretti. Holman-Moody Racing, which included legendary drivers like Joe Weatherly, Fred Lorenzen, Fireball Roberts, Bobby Allison, and Pearson, amassed 96 wins and 83 poles in 525 premier starts.
Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR:
Dr. Dean Sicking
Dr. Dean Sicking’s impact on driver safety is monumental. Best known for inventing the SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) barrier, Sicking’s work has saved countless lives over the past 20 years. Following Dale Earnhardt’s tragic death in 2001, NASCAR collaborated with Sicking and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to understand and prevent similar incidents. The SAFER barriers are now standard at all NASCAR national series tracks. For his contributions, Sicking received the Bill France Award of Excellence in 2003 and the National Medal of Technology and Innovation from President George W. Bush in 2005.
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