NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2023 includes Matt Kenseth, Hershel McGriff, Kirk Shelmerdine

The Class of 2023 Induction Ceremony is set for Friday, Jan. 20, 2023, at the NASCAR Hall of Fame and Charlotte Convention Center.

Former drivers Hershel McGriff and Matt Kenseth, and former crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine have been named Hall inductees. In addition, NASCAR executive Mike Helton will be the recipient of the prestigious Landmark Award for outstanding contributions to NASCAR.

According to information provided by NASCAR, McGriff’s first entry into NASCAR competition came in the 1950 Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. McGriff was only 22 years of age among 74 other drivers that entered the race. His final NASCAR race was at Tucson Speedway in the NASCAR Pro Series West in 2018 at the age of 90. The very first race he entered was on a dirt track on Sept. 16, 1945, just after World War II had ended using his father’s Hudson.

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The native of Bridal Veil, Oregon, started 85 races in limited seasons over 28 years collecting four wins – all in 1954 coming at San Mateo, California, Macon, Georgia, Charlotte and North Wilkesboro when he finished sixth in championship points. McGriff was one of the best drivers in what is now known as the ARCA Menards Series West. Competing in parts of 35 seasons in that division, he won 37 races and is listed as third on the all-time West Series win list. His signature year came in 1986 when he won the series title, part of a string of 10 consecutive seasons with finishes in the top 10 of championship points. In 1998 in their 50th season, McGriff was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers.

McGriff learned of his pending induction while participating in the Kyle Petty Charity motorcycle ride across the country. He was told of the honor when the large group of 200 motorcycle riders stopped for fuel. McGriff turned 94 years of age last December.

"I'm really happy," McGriff said emotionally. "I've always loved the sport but I just couldn't go full time because I raised a family. I tried to stay in business and worked. I'm a west coaster and did a lot of racing on the west coast, pretty 300 or 400 races, back in the dirt days and all of that.

"When I started driving, they didn't have go-karts and all that stuff. We just drive street cars. Right after World War II, Sept. 16. 1945, I ran my first race on dirt. I was 17 years old."

Over 18 full-time Cup Series seasons, Matt Kenseth won every major milestone including two Daytona 500 victories, as well as a Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway, a Coca-Cola 600 and the All-Star Race win at Charlotte Motor Speedway. His 39 Cup wins tie him with Tim Flock for 21st on the all-time list and include wins at 19 of the 23 tracks where he competed more than once.

His crowning achievement was his 2003 Cup Series championship, a thoroughly impressive season when he led the points standings for 32 of 36 weeks. And though he won that series title, Kenseth was consistently in championship contention, making the Playoffs in 13 of 14 seasons and finished runner-up twice.

"It's an honor to be on the list and under consideration at all," Kenseth said after the announcement. "And then to make it is a huge deal and certainly to get in on the first ballot is definitely a good feeling, yeah."

At age 25 in 1983, Shelmerdine guided Ricky Rudd to victory at Riverside, the first of two wins during that season. Three seasons later, he directed Dale Earnhardt to the 1986 Cup Series championship. Shelmerdine won four Cup Series titles with Earnhardt (1986, ’87, ’90, ’91). Over his 16-year crew chief career with Earnhardt, Rudd, James Hylton and Richard Childress, he won 46 races and posted top-10 finishes in more than half his starts. Shelmerdine retired from his role as crew chief in 1992 to pursue a career as a driver. He made 41 starts across all three NASCAR national series. In 50 ARCA Menards Series races from 1993 through 2008, Shelmerdine claimed three victories and finished in the top five 14 times.

"I'm still in shock."Shemerdine said. "I've been on the ballot before and there are a lot of other deserving names in that group. I thought it would be a few more years before it happened. It's great and it sure means a lot to me. There are some awfully big names to be rubbing shoulders with. I'm very happy and surprised."

The Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR going to Helton is an easy choice.

Helton is the most familiar of faces and names in the NASCAR community. In 2000, he was the first person outside the France family to be named president of NASCAR. He started his leadership career with the sport back in 1980 and now serves as Vice Chairman of NASCAR. His nearly five-decade long career in the sport has been spent working in a wide variety of jobs.

After working briefly as a radio sports director, he earned his first big job in racing as the public relations director at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Five years later he was promoted to general manager of the facility and almost immediately was hired away to work at the famed Daytona International Speedway. His hard work on the competition side of the sport included a push to increase safety standards – something NASCAR took the lead on and continues to revolutionize today. His influence is also seen in the NASCAR Research & Development Center in Concord, N.C. – the first such facility owned and operated by a racing sanctioning body.

This article originally appeared on The Dispatch: NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees for 2023