The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) has announced the seven inductees for its Class of 2018, set to be honored at its 30th Annual Induction Ceremony presented by Bridgestone, Tuesday, March 13 at The Shores Resort & Spa in Daytona Beach, Florida. Those honorees are: drag racing pioneer John Buttera; Indianapolis Motor Speedway builder Carl G. Fisher; four-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon; record-setting pilot Howard Hughes; motorcycle great Fred Merkel; three-time Indy 500-winning car owner U.E. Pat Patrick; and sports car legend Bob Tullius.
“Our inductee classes are always intriguing, but this year is even more so,” said MSHFA President Ron Watson. “Howard Hughes and Jeff Gordon in the same class — that is probably the best example we’ve ever had to illustrate the breadth of our inductee roll.”
In recent years, the MSHFA has hosted its induction in July, but has moved the date for this year’s ceremony to March, which puts it right in the middle of that month’s busy motorsports calendar in Florida. The IndyCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, the Amelia Island Concours D’Elegance, the NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville and the 12 Hours of Sebring, as well as the AMA Daytona Supercross, American Flat Track’s Daytona TT and the Daytona 200, and Bike Week in Daytona Beach, all take place within a 10-day period that includes the MSHFA induction.
“This gives us great synergy, calendar-wise, with various motorsports series and events,” Watson said.
The induction ceremony will be preceded on March 12 by the annual “Heroes of Horsepower” Reception and Dinner at the MSHFA Museum, located in the Daytona International Speedway Ticket and Tours facility. Tickets for all 30th annual MSHFA induction can be purchased by calling (386) 681-6843 or by visiting www.mshf.com
