MISC: Motorsports Hall of Fame of America News
30 June 2000
THE BIGGEST NAMES IN MOTORSPORTS WERE ON HAND AT THE MOTORSPORTS HALL OF FAME 2000 INDUCTION CEREMONY Novi, MI - Some of the biggest names in motorsports attended the 12th Annual Motorsports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on June 8 at the State Theatre in Detroit, including Bobby Rahal, Max Papis, Kenny Brack, Whit Bazemore, Pat Patrick and CEO's from major sanctioning bodies including Mike Helton of NASCAR, Andrew Craig of CART, Nick Craw of SCCA, John Capels of USAC, Scott Hollingsworth of AMA Pro Racing, Bud Stanner of IMG Motorsports and Steve Gibbs of NHRA Motorsports Museum. Past inductees in attendance were Bobby Unser, George Follmer, Rodger Ward, Bobby Allison, Bart Markel, C.J. Hart, Lyle Shelton, Bill Seebold, George Bignotti and Bill "Grumpy" Jenkins. In attendance from the class of 2000 were: The Wood Brothers, stock car; Danny Ongais, drag racing; Bob Hannah, motorcycle; Tom D'Eath, powerboat and Cook Cleland, air racing. The families of the late Sam Hanks, open wheel, Peter Gregg, sports car, and Ray Harroun, historic, Pre WW-II, were on hand to accept the awards for their loved ones. Smokey Yunick, at-large, was also inducted but could not attend the ceremony due to illness. "Support from corporations and sanctioning bodies was tremendous, but the show belonged to the inductees and their families," said Ron Watson, President of the Motorsports Hall of Fame. "It was as emotionally moving as it was entertaining. Tears were shed for some departed heroes, but most important was the sincere joy and pride shown by the honorees by reaching the pinnacle of their careers. What an incredible evening!" The late Robert Russo, one of auto racing's most respected historians and a true pioneer of modern day motorsports promotion, was honored with the Heritage Award at the Ceremony. The Heritage Award is bestowed upon a person who has had a long history in and has played a leadership role in the industry. Robert L. Rewey, group vice president of Ford Motor Company and group vice president of Global Consumer Services and North America, Honorary Chairman of the 2000 Induction Ceremony also attended and spoke briefly on the significance of the Motorsports Hall of Fame. Benny Parsons, former NASCAR Champion and current ABC and ESPN Broadcaster, served as Master of Ceremonies again this year. Sponsors for the Ceremony were Ford Motor Company, Goodyear, GM Racing, Mopar Performance, Firestone, The Marmon Group, NASCAR, JCK & Associates, CITGO, Porsche Cars North America, RACER Magazine, Ward's Communications, NASCAR Winston Cup Scene, IMG Motorsports, Yamaha Motorsports, JT Racing, SCCA, CART, AMA and NHRA Motorsports Museum. The Motorsports Hall of Fame is currently located inside the Novi Expo Center in Novi, Michigan. Its 10,000 square foot museum houses numerous racing and high performance vehicles. The continually changing collection showcases racers and vehicles from the world of Indy cars, stock cars, Can Am, Trans-Am, sprint cars, powerboats, airplanes, truck racing and motorcycles. Among the highlights is the last ever Novi Special Indy car, namesake of the city of Novi, Michigan. The museum and gift shop are open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and by special arrangements for group tours, catered receptions and special events. Plans are underway to move the Motorsports Museum and Hall of Fame to a permanent home at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit in the near future. For more information, please call (248) 349-RACE.
