NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2023: Matt Kenseth, A.J. Foyt among nominees on ballot

It marks the first Hall of Fame ballot in two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic

NASCAR has announced the 15 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2023, marking the first Hall of Fame ballot in two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ballot includes 10 modern era nominees, as well as five nominees for the pioneer ballot, which honors those whose careers in NASCAR began more than 60 years ago.

New to the modern era ballot is Matt Kenseth, who earned 39 Cup Series wins and the 2003 Cup Championship in his driving career, and Tim Brewer, a two-time Cup champion crew chief for Hall of Famers Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip. Sam Ard, a two-time champion and series great in what is now the Xfinity Series, has been re-introduced to the pioneer ballot where he joins racing legend A.J. Foyt, whose NASCAR career featured seven wins including the 1972 Daytona 500.

The Hall of Fame ballot also includes five nominees for the Landmark Award, which is awarded to those who have made outstanding contributions to the sport. New to the Landmark Award ballot is Lesa France Kennedy, NASCAR's executive vice chair and the granddaughter of Bill France Sr.

Meet the 15 nominees for the #NASCARHOF Class of 2023. Tim Brewer and Matt Kenseth join the Modern Era Ballot while A.J. Foyt is added to the Pioneer Ballot alongside Sam Ard. To learn more about each nominee, visit: https://t.co/cDyHRWAnAj #NASCAR #NASCARHall pic.twitter.com/xpMLPtwzUe

— NASCAR Hall of Fame (@NASCARHall) April 4, 2022

The NASCAR Hall of Fame voting panel will meet on May 4 to discuss the vote for the Class of 2023, and 63 votes including a Fan Vote will be cast in all. Because there was no Hall of Fame Class of 2022, 2020 Cup Series champion Chase Elliott will participate as a one-time voter alongside defending Cup champion Kyle Larson.

Here is a complete look at the nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2023:

Modern Era Ballot

Neil Bonnett - Cup Series driver from 1973 to 1994. Earned 18 career wins including the 1979 Firecracker 400 at Daytona, the 1980 Talladega 500, and the 1982 and 1983 Coca-Cola 600. Member of the Alabama Gang alongside Hall of Famers Bobby Allison, Davey Allison, and Red Farmer. Became popular broadcaster after suffering severe head injury in 1990 crash. Attempted comeback before dying in practice crash for 1994 Daytona 500.

Tim Brewer - Cup Series crew chief from 1973 to 2004. Earned 53 career victories and won 1978 and 1981 Cup Series championships with drivers Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip. Worked with other notable drivers including Richard Childress, Tim Richmond, Neil Bonnett, Terry & Bobby Labonte, Geoff Bodine, and Bill Elliott.

Jeff Burton - Cup Series driver from 1993 to 2014. Earned 21 career wins including the 1999 Southern 500, the 1999 and 2001 Coca-Cola 600, and the 2000 Pepsi 400 at Daytona. Runner-up in 2000 Cup Series championship standings. Currently a broadcaster for NBC Sports.

Carl Edwards - Cup Series driver from 2004 to 2016. Earned 28 career wins including 2015 Coca-Cola 600 and Southern 500. Two-time runner up in Cup Series championship standings, including tiebreaker in 2011. Also earned 38 career wins and 2007 championship in Xfinity Series and six career wins in Truck Series.

Harry Gant - Cup Series driver from 1973 to 1994. Earned 18 career wins including 1984 and 1991 Southern 500 and 1991 Winston 500 at Talladega. Three-time champion in NASCAR Sportsman Division. Earned nickname "Mr. September" after famously winning four-straight races in September 1991.

Harry Hyde - Cup Series crew chief from 1966 to 1993. Earned 56 career wins and 1970 Cup Series championship with Hall of Famer Bobby Isaac. Guided Tim Richmond to seven wins in breakout 1986 season. Worked with other notable drivers including Buddy Baker, Dave Marcis, Neil Bonnett, Geoff Bodine, Benny Parsons, and Ken Schrader. Was the basis for Robert Duvall character Harry Hogge in the movie Days of Thunder.

Matt Kenseth - Cup Series driver from 1998 to 2020. Earned 38 career wins including 2009 and 2012 Daytona 500, 2000 Coca-Cola 600, and 2013 Southern 500. Won 2003 NASCAR Cup Series championship, the final of the Winston Cup era. Also a Cup Series championship runner-up in 2006 and 2013.

Larry Phillips - NASCAR driver from 1960 to 2001. Only driver ever to win NASCAR Weekly Series national championship five times. Won seven NASCAR Weekly Series regional championships and 13 different track championships. Made one Cup Series start at Ontario in 1976.

Ricky Rudd - Cup Series driver from 1975 to 2007. Earned 23 career wins including 1997 Brickyard 400. Runner-up in 1991 Cup Series championship standings. Famously tough, winning race at Richmond in 1984 after having to tape eyes open following crash at Daytona and at Martinsville in 1998 after cooling system failure led to extreme heat exhaustion and burns. Nicknamed "The Rooster"

Kirk Shelmerdine - Cup Series crew chief from 1977 to 1992. Won four Cup Series championships as crew chief for Dale Earnhardt in 1986, 1987, 1990, and 1991. Earned 46 career wins, 44 with Earnhardt and two with Ricky Rudd. Made 26 career starts as a driver, qualifying for the 2006 Daytona 500 and finishing a career-best 20th.

Pioneer Ballot

Sam Ard - Legendary driver in NASCAR Late Model Sportsman Division and Busch Grand National (later Xfinity) Series. Earned 22 career victories and two-straight championships in latter series during three year span from 1982 to 1984. Became car owner after career-ending crash at Rockingham in 1984, fielding winning cars for drivers including Jimmy Hensley and Jeff Burton.

A.J. Foyt - Competed in NASCAR from 1963 to 1994 in conjunction with legendary motorsports career. Won seven NASCAR Cup Series races, including 1972 Daytona 500 and two consecutive Firecracker 400s in 1964 and 1965. Later served as a car owner.

Banjo Matthews - Legendary car owner and builder. Built cars that won more than 250 Cup Series races as well as Cup Series championships from 1976 to 1978. Won eight races as a car owner and crew chief for drivers like Fireball Roberts, Junior Johnson, and Donnie Allison. Competed in 51 Cup Series races as a driver.

Hershel McGriff - Legendary racer across NASCAR divisions. Competed in 87 Cup Series races from 1950 to 1994, earning four career wins. Earned 34 career wins and 1986 championship in NASCAR Winston West Series. Became oldest driver to ever compete in a NASCAR race in 2018, running a West Series race at the age of 90.

Ralph Moody - Former NASCAR driver and legendary car owner and mechanic. Earned five Cup Series wins as a driver from 1956 to 1962. Won 96 Cup Series races as co-owner of Holman-Moody Racing, building cars for drivers Fred Lorenzen, David Pearson, Bobby Allison and more.

Landmark Award

Janet Guthrie - Legendary female racer. Became first woman to ever compete in a NASCAR race on a superspeedway, finishing 15th in 1976 World 600 at Charlotte and 12th in 1977 Daytona 500. Ran 33 Cup Series races from 1976 to 1980. Set record for the best finish by a woman in Cup Series history with a sixth-place finish at Bristol in 1977 (later tied by Danica Patrick in 2014).

Alvin Hawkins - First flagman in NASCAR history. Established NASCAR racing at Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Mike Helton - Longtime NASCAR executive. General manager of Atlanta Motor Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway in 1980s and 1990s. Later named third president of NASCAR in 2000.

Lesa France Kennedy - France family member and NASCAR executive. Currently serves as executive vice president of NASCAR. Was named one of the most powerful women in sports by Forbes in 2009.

Dr. Joseph Mattioli - Founder and longtime owner of Pocono Raceway.