The NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2020 inductees were announced today at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
The inductees include Tony Stewart, Joe Gibbs, Waddell Wilson, Buddy Baker, Bobby Labonte and Edsel Ford.
Tony Stewart:
Known as “Smoke”, Tony Stewart will be inducted into the NASCAR Hall Of Fame Class of 2020. Throughout his career, Stewart compiled 3 Cup Championships (’02,’05,’11), 49 wins and 15 poles. Stewart competed through 1999-2016 in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series. As soon as Stewart arrived in the Cup Series, he showed that he would be a force to be reckoned with some day. In just his first year on the scene, Stewart won three wins in his Rookie of the Year season. Stewart would go onto win his first Cup championship in 2002 driving for Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 20.
His hard work and never give up attitude was displayed throughout his 17-year career in the Cup series. Stewart won some of NASCAR’s most prestigious races such as the Brickyard 400 at his home-state Indianapolis Motor Speedway twice.
In 2009, Stewart became a team owner in the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series pairing up with Gene Haas. Stewart won 16 times as a driver/owner including his memorable 2011 championship in which he fought off Carl Edwards to get the title.
Thus far, Stewart-Haas Racing has 51 wins and a second championship with Kevin Harvick in 2015.
Joe Gibbs:
Joe Gibbs will join the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2020. The three-time Super Bowl champion football coach, founded Joe Gibbs Racing in 1992 and has led Joe Gibbs Racing to four NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series championships and five NASCAR Xfinity Series championships. Gibbs is currently ranked the third all-time on the Cup series win rank. They include three Daytona 500 wins and five Brickyard 400 wins.
Gibbs three Cup Series titles have come with three different drivers: Bobby Labonte in 2000, Tony Stewart in 2002 & 2005 and Kyle Busch in 2016.
In addition to his a NASCAR Hall Of Fame nomination, Gibbs is also a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Waddell Wilson:
Waddell Wilson will join the NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2020. The three time engine builder in the Cup series guided cars to some of the biggest races in NASCAR. Waddell Wilson competed through the years of 1979-1988, 1990-1993 and 1995 and compiled 22 wins along with 32 poles. Wilson supplied the power that helped David Pearson (1968,1969) and Benny Parsons (1973) to Cup Series championships. The Bakersville, North Carolina native engines helped some of NASCAR’s biggest stars rise to the occasion – including NASCAR Hall of Famers David Pearson, Fireball Roberts, Bobby Allison, Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip to 109 wins and 123 poles.
He also guided three cars to victory in the Daytona 500 as a crew chief, including drivers such as Buddy Baker (1980) and Cale Yarborough (1983,84). The car known as the “Grey Ghost” Wilson assembled for Buddy Baker still holds the Daytona 500 record with an average speed of 177.602 MPH.
Buddy Baker:
Known as the “Gentle Giant” for his height, Buddy Baker was a threat week end and week out on the circuit.
In 1980, Baker won the Daytona 500 with an average speed of 177.602 mph. That track record still stands today. Baker also became the first driver to eclispe the 200-mph mark while testing at Talladega Superspeedway. Baker won at Talladega three times throughout his career.
He also won 19 wins in the NASCAR Cup Series, including a victory in the 1970 Southern 500 at Darlington where he lapped the field. Baker also won back-to-back Coca-Cola 600s at Charlotte in 1972-1973. After his retirement in 1992, Baker made a transition into the broadcast booth as a commentator for CBS.
Sadly, the NASCAR world would loose Baker on August 10, 2015.
Bobby Labonte:
Bobby Labonte started his NASCAR full-time career at 28 years of age in 1993. Labonte, the brother of NASCAR Hall of Famer Terry Labonte made 21 trips to victory lane throughout his career. He competed in 1991 and 1993-2016 and compiled 21 wins and 26 poles.
Labonte’s persistence in the Cup Series paid off in 2000 when he won the Cup Series title with Joe Gibbs Racing.
Labonte was a success in all three NASCAR national series, he was the first of four to win both a Cup and Xfinity Series championship. The Corpus Christi, Texas native is also one of 27 drivers to win a race in all three NASCAR national series.
Labonte showed up on some of NASCAR’s biggest stages, earning four wins in the Brickyard 400 and Southern 500.
Edsel Ford:
Edsel Ford will join the NASCAR Hall of Fame class as the 2020 Landmark Award winner.
Edsel, who is a member of the Ford Motor Company Board of Directors and longtime executive of the company which was founded by his great-grandfather Henry Ford.
Edsel makes a point regularly to check in with all the NASCAR Ford teams at the racetrack. His leadership at Ford includes time as President and Chief Operating Officer and a director of the International Speedway Corporation.
The 2020 NASCAR Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Friday, Jan. 31, 2020.
About Me: Hi, my name is Matthew I'm 17 from Charlotte, NC. Racing has been something that has interested me my whole life. As a kid my dad would always take me to each of the Charlotte races and the adrenaline you get watching NASCAR's best drivers go around is one like no other. My goal as a writer is to give you the best information possible.
Twitter: mjackson1224
- NCS: Denny Hamlin wins Bristol Spring race over Truex Jr. - March 17, 2024
- NCS: Kyle Larson outlasts Tyler Reddick to win at Las Vegas - March 3, 2024
- NCS: Daniel Suarez wins Atlanta Cup Series race in photo finish - February 25, 2024