BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Six first-time nominees are among 20 candidates for 2025 induction into the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame. Voting by the organization’s Board of Directors began this week.
Ten finalists will be decided in the first round of balloting, to be followed by a final vote selecting five inductees. Date and site of the 2025 Induction gala, presented by Illinois’ World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, will be announced later this month. Additional Heritage and Pioneers of Speed inductees will also be named later, as well as the fifth Knockin’ Doorz Down Philanthropist of the Year Award by 51FIFTY.
“I believe without a doubt that the 2025 nominations for the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame are the most diversified group of contributors in the world of auto racing that the Hall has had in its 24 years of existence,” said Ken Clapp, Chairman and CEO of the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame. “I don’t even know yet how I can select my semi-finalists.”
This year’s first-time nominees are:
• A.J. Allmendinger, Los Gatos, Calif., NASCAR Cup Series and Xfinity Series winner and Championship Auto Racing Teams rookie of the year and race winner
• Chuck Gurney, Oakland, Calif., United States Auto Club (USAC) Silver Crown and Super Modified and Northern Auto Racing Club (NARC) champion
• Justin Marks, Rocklin, Calif., NASCAR Cup Series team owner, competitor and entrepreneur
• Thomas (Rip) Michels, Mission Hills, Calif., NASCAR Elite Series Southwest Tour champion. Irwindale Speedway, Mesa Marin Raceway and Saugus Speedway late model stock car champion
• Jim Naylor, Camarillo, Calif., forty-plus year operator of Ventura (Calif.) Speedway, a 1/5-mile clay oval now home to fabled Turkey Night Grand Prix for USAC Midgets
• Rick Ware, Los Angeles, Calif., successful team owner in top international and national series including NASCAR Cup, NTT IndyCar, National Hot Rod Association Top Fuel and FIM motorcycles
Fourteen earlier nominees complete the 2025 first-round ballot. They are five-time Stockton 99 (Calif.) Speedway champion Ken Boyd; 15-time NASCAR ARCA Menards Series West winner Austin Cameron; NASCAR Xfinity and Craftsman Truck Series winning crew chief Ernie Cope; NASCAR ARCA Menards Series West champion Mike David; and Three-time Canadian American Modified Association (CAMRA) champion Davey Hamilton.
NASCAR Menards Series West and Elite Series Southwest Series champion Lance Hooper, three-time NASCAR Elite Series Northwest Tour champion Jeff Jefferson; two-time California Racing Association (CRA) champion Brad Noffsinger; and safety equipment innovator Jan Quackenbush; International Motor Sports Association (IMSA); Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Trans-Am champion Boris Said
SCCA Trans-Am rookie of the Year and Indianapolis 500 competitor Willy T. Ribbs; three-time NASCAR State of California stock car champion Ted Stofle; two-time Stockton 99 Speedway champion Ron Strmiska Sr.; and NASCAR ARCA Menards Series West champion Sean Woodside.