DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Nine legends from the world of motorsports, including an unprecedented three female honorees, were named to the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America as the 33rd class was unveiled Saturday at Daytona Int’l Speedway in advance of the Rolex 24.
The class of 2021 includes NASCAR Hall of Famer Davey Allison (Stock Cars), three-time land speed record holder John Cobb (Historic), three-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon Jr. (Drag Racing), Indy and NASCAR trailblazer Janet Guthrie (Open Wheel), 2006 MotoGP World Champion Nicky Hayden (Motorcycles), legendary Indy correspondent Robin Miller (Media), seven consecutive APBA Gold Cup winner Fran Muncey (Powerboats), multi-time USAC and NASCAR champion Ray Nichels (Historic) and world class timer/scorer Judy Stropus (Sports Cars).
“The Class of 2021 is history-making in so many respects,” said Motorsports Hall of Fame of America President George Levy. “Janet Guthrie, Fran Muncey and Judy Stropus comprise the first ever class with three female inductees. Fran joins inaugural class inductee Bill Muncey as the only husband and wife inductees. And Davey Allison, Bobby Allison and Donnie Allison join Bobby Unser, Al Unser and Al Unser Jr. as the only families with three individually inducted members.”
The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America class of 2021 was unveiled in an on-line press conference at DIS featuring Levy, new-class representative Stropus, 2005 inductee Hurley Haywood and Daytona Int’l Speedway President Chip Wile.
Each of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America’s inductees is elected by a straight vote of 200 motorsports experts — half of them inductees themselves. Regular voters include Hall of Famers Mario Andretti, Tom D’Eath, Chip Ganassi, Don Garlits, Parnelli Jones, Scott Parker, Richard Petty, Don Prudhomme and other titans of the sport.
Each year, the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America classes are formally inducted in a celebration featuring motorsports legends and fellow Hall of Fame members at a black-tie gala. Plans for the 2020 induction ceremony, postponed last year at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the class of 2021 celebration will be announced in the near future.
Including the 2020 and 2021 classes, 269 Heroes of Horsepower are in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America. The induction of Guthrie, Muncey and Stropus increases to 10 the number of women enshrined in the Hall.