BAKERSFIELD, Calif. – Tommy Kendall, Danny Ongais and George Snider, a cross-genre snapshot of premier motorsports history, headline the list of 10 finalists for class of 2021 election to the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame.
Four-time SCCA Trans-Am Series champion and broadcaster Kendall; USAC championship car 500-mile winner and U.S. Nationals drag racing titlist Ongais; and 22-time Indianapolis 500 starter and USAC Silver Crown Series champion Snider are among seven, multi-time nominees to emerge from the Hall’s first round of voting that ended Dec. 15, 2020.
Six previous nominees who also advance to a final round of voting, are NASCAR weekly series and tracks champion Dave Byrd; NASCAR national series-winning crew chief and Cup Series competition director Ernie Cope; SCCA Tran-Am Series champion and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series team owner Tom Gloy; and 1996 ARCA Menards Series West champion and national series crew chief Lance Hooper.
Three first-time nominees –– Las Vegas Motor Speedway builder Richie Clyne; 13-time Northern Auto Racing Club champion Brent Kaeding; and racing equipment master craftsman and problem solver Ronald (Ron) Zajicek — transferred onto the final ballot.
“The West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame is proud to celebrate its 20th anniversary with an amazing group of finalists,” said Ken Clapp, Chairman and CEO. “Our list of finalists certainly will challenge our Board of Directors to separate the best from the very best. Every one of these individuals is more than deserving to be part of the Class of 2021.
“Our inability to host an induction this year was unfortunate on many levels – especially from a charity standpoint. I am certain that our giving will accelerate with a successful 2021 event as the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame looks forward to reaching total charitable donations of $1 million in the next several years.”
Final voting by the Hall’s Board of Directors to select the five 2021 inductees continues through February 8, 2021. Five Heritage candidates from racing’s historic era also will be inducted in the Class of 2021. Their selection will be announced later this spring.
The Class of 2021 will be enshrined Saturday, June 5, 2021 in a unique, double induction with the Hall’s 2020 Class at the Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa, Calif. The event, presented by World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, again accompanies the annual NASCAR Cup Series and ARCA Menards Series West weekend at nearby Sonoma Raceway. The 2020 induction was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.