User:Cep500/sandbox

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame, renamed from the “Auto Racing Hall of Fame” in 2018, perpetuates the names and celebrates the memories of prominent personalities for their outstanding accomplishments at and/or contributions to auto racing, particularly the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The parameters to be considered for induction have changed over the years. In its initial form, the Auto Racing Hall of Fame honored persons with an impact on the development of the auto and auto racing industries, without regard to Indianapolis Motor Speedway accomplishments. Later, Indianapolis 500 credentials or contributions became an ever-increasing factor.

Today, the mission of the re-branded Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame is to honor drivers, chief mechanics, automotive engineers and designers, team owners, journalists, historians, and racetrack officials affiliated with the Indianapolis 500, Brickyard 400 or United States Grand Prix Formula One race during the period 2000-2007, when it took place at IMS.

IMS Hall of Fame Balloting

Early each year, approximately 150 racing historians, representatives of the media, and veteran members of the racing fraternity select the year’s inductees. In May, the IMS Hall of Fame honors these outstanding contributors to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. As of May 2018, 156 individuals have been recognized for their contributions to auto racing at IMS. (See the full list of inductees, below.) The new mission of the IMS Hall of Fame was reflected in the 2018 inductees, as the only candidates to be elected were drivers with outstanding Brickyard 400 credentials: five-time winner Jeff Gordon and two-time winner Tony Stewart.

Origins and Operation of the “Auto Racing Hall of Fame,” 1947-2018

Organized in 1952 by the American Automobile Association, the Auto Racing Hall of Fame, originally located at the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, admitted inductees in 1952, 1953 and 1954. Operations were suspended from 1955 until 1962 when the Auto Racing Hall of Fame was revived and relocated to Indianapolis. The Hall of Fame was incorporated into the museum located, at the time, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s offices at the corner of 16th Street and Georgetown Road. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum was moved inside the famed 2.5-mile oval in 1976, where it and the IMS Hall of Fame exist today.

Anton “Tony” Hulman, Jr., who owned IMS from November 1945 until his death in October 1977 (and the track remains owned by his family) first expressed his dream for a museum to honor outstanding individuals in American motorsports on May 27, 1947, at a meeting of the Champion Hundred Mile Per Hour Club at the Indianapolis Athletic Club. The gathering was open only to drivers who had averaged 100 miles per hour or more for the entire distance of an Indianapolis 500 race without the assistance of a relief driver.

Whether his remarks that evening had any bearing on future developments is a matter of conjecture, but in 1952, members of the Contest Board of the American Automobile Association (AAA) established the Auto Racing Hall of Fame (“Hall of Fame”) in cooperation with officials of either the Edison Institute of the Ford Foundation or the Henry Ford Museum (now known as The Henry Ford). The original mission of the Hall of Fame was to: 1) Perpetuate the names and memories of outstanding racing personalities; 2) Demonstrate racing’s contributions to the development of the automotive industry; and 3) Interpret the impact of those contributions on the American way of life.

The AAA Contest Board considered for inclusion in the Hall of Fame anyone connected with auto racing as a driver, mechanic, car owner, promoter, official, and manufacturer. The initial list of inductees set the standard by which future classes of inductees would be measured. It focused on those active in the period prior to 1911: Louis Chevrolet, Bert Dingley, Harvey Firestone Sr., Carl G. Fisher, Henry Ford, Ray Harroun, T.E. (Pop) Myers, Barney Oldfield, William K. Vanderbilt, Fred J. Wagner

The second year, 1953, the selection committee voted on outstanding individuals in racing from 1911 through 1920, adding Earl Cooper, Ralph DePalma, Ralph Mulford, and Eddie Rickenbacker. The third year, 1954, saw the nomination of 33 individuals, of whom three were elected to represent racing’s earliest days through 1920: Bob Burman, Tommy Milton, and Dario Resta.

Discontinuance of the Hall of Fame and Move to Indianapolis In 1955, the AAA discontinued its racing efforts and disbanded its Contest Board. In so doing, it abandoned the Hall of Fame without making any provision for its continuation. The Henry Ford Museum retained the Hall of Fame’s archives.

In 1962, the Auto Racing Hall of Fame was relocated to Indianapolis under the administration of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Foundation, Inc. (“Foundation”). A report prepared in 1963 by an unidentified author indicated that the relocation was spurred by the inquiries of visitors to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, who expressed regret that the Hall of Fame had ceased to operate. Members of the racing fraternity and media from across the United States urged aggressive action to revive the Hall of Fame. The task fell to the Foundation, which agreed in 1961 to explore the possibilities. The American Automobile Association quickly cleared the way for the Foundation to negotiate directly with officials from the Henry Ford Museum. In a reasonably short time, the Henry Ford Museum sent all Hall of Fame records to the Foundation.

The Foundation developed a plan of operation for the Hall of Fame, appointing a selection committee of 100 people that included members of the Foundation’s Board of Directors; all living members of the Hall of Fame; drivers, mechanics and race officials from all eras of racing; media representatives; race historians; and representatives of accessory companies.

In 1962, the first year of its revival, two categories of candidates were considered: 1) all those active in racing before 1920; 2) candidates active from 1921 through 1925.

Eligible individuals included drivers, mechanics, car owners, promoters, officials, and manufacturers. Each candidate was required to meet two basic requirements: 1) At least 20 years must have elapsed from the date of the individual’s first active participation in the sport; 2) The candidate must receive the votes of at least 75 percent of the selection committee members.

Each committee member could nominate two people in each category and could vote for a maximum of five people in each category.

In 1963, nominations were restricted to (i) all candidates active through 1920, and (ii) new candidates active from 1921 to 1930, inclusive. The following year, individuals actively involved in racing from 1931 through 1940 became eligible for inclusion in the Hall of Fame.

For many years the induction ceremonies took place during the Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers Club barbecue the day after Indianapolis 500 qualifications were completed. From 1991-2017, the ceremonies were held during the annual “500 Oldtimers Club/Auto Racing Hall of Fame” dinner that honored participants who have notable accomplishments at the Indianapolis 500.

2018-Present: New Branding and Focus

For 2018, the event continued with a new and lengthy official title to reflect the new branding and Hall of Fame’s focused yet expanded mission: “The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame 2018 Induction Ceremony & Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers Special Recognition Dinner.”

Today, the requirements for being considered by the nominating committee are that candidates must be retired as an active participant from all forms of active competition, and the candidates must have demonstrated a Hall of Fame-caliber career at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, along with an impressive body of work at other race tracks, series, and/or racing disciplines.

To be enshrined, nominees must still receive 75 percent of the vote from the selection committee.