DAYTONA BEACH, Fl. (93.7 The Fan) - Five legends of the sport are joining the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2020.
Drivers Buddy Baker, Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart have been voted-in along with team owner Joe Gibbs and Engine Builder/Crew Chief Waddell Wilson.
Voting was as follows: Tony Stewart (88%), Joe Gibbs (72%), Waddell Wilson (72%), Buddy Baker (70%) and Bobby Labonte (67%).
Stewart won 49-races in the Cup Series, three championships (2002, 2005 and 2011) and the Rookie of the Year award (1999). Stewart became a Driver/Owner in 2009 and retired from driving in NASCAR after 17-seasons. He remains active as a Sprint Car driver in addition to fielding four cars in the Cup series with co-owner Gene Haas.
Gibbs started Joe Gibbs Racing in 1992 and has led his organization to four Cup Series championships and five Xfinity Series titles. Gibbs' 164-Cup Series owner wins (through May 22, 2019) rank third all-time and include three Daytona 500 victories and five Brickyard 400 wins. In addition to Stewart, Bobby Labonte (2000) and Kyle Busch (2015) have won the Cup championships for Gibbs. This is Gibbs second Hall-of-Fame enshrinement. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1996.
Wilson was a tremendous engine builder who powered David Pearson (1968, '69) and Benny Parsons (1973) to Cup Series titles. Wilson's engines took the checkered flags in 109-wins and 123-pole positions. As a Crew Chief, Wilson won three Daytona 500's: Buddy Baker (1980) and Cale Yarborough (1983, '84).
Baker won 19-races in the Cup series including the 1980 Daytona 500, the 1970 Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway and back-to-back Coca-Cola 600's at Charlotte in 1972-71. Baker's Daytona 500 win had an average speed of 177.602 mph, a track record that still stands. That same year, Baker became the first stock car driver to eclipse the 200-mph mark on a closed course while testing at Talladega Superspeedway. Baker transitioned to the broadcast booth after retiring working for CBS, TNN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Labonte won 21-races in the Cup Series and the 2000 Cup Series title. Labonte was the first driver to win both a Cup and Xfinity Series championship. He is also one of 27-drivers to win a race in all three national series.
The Class of 2020 was determined by votes cast by the Voting Panel, including representatives from NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, track owners from major facilities and historic short tracks, media members, manufacturer representatives, competitors (drivers, owners, crew chiefs), recognized industry leaders, a nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.com and, for the sixth year, the reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion (Joey Logano).
In addition to the Hall of Fame class, NASCAR announced the Edsel Ford II earned the 2020 Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.
The Class of 2020 Induction Weekend is set for Thursday, Jan. 30, 2020, through Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. The official Induction Ceremony will take place on Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. The Class of 2020 marks the 11th class and a total of 55 legends inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
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