NASCAR Hall of Fame announces 2025 class

NASCAR announced the 2025 Hall of Fame class on Tuesday, a class headlined by Ricky Rudd and Carl Edwards. From the Pioneer Ballot, legendary team owner Ralph Moody was selected.

Additionally, NASCAR President Steve Phelps presented the 2025 Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR to Dr. Dean Sicking. Sicking co-invented the SAFER barrier, which has revolutionized racetrack safety.

Rudd received 87% of the votes, while Carl Edwards received 52%. Harry Gant, Jeff Burton and Harry Hyde followed, according to Dustin Long of NBC Sports NASCAR.

The Hall of Fame Voting Panel chose two nominees from the 10-person Modern Era ballot (career started within the last 60 years) and one from the five-person Pioneer Era ballot (career started over 60 years ago or 10 years on Modern Era ballot).

Among the names on the Modern Era Ballot this year: Greg Biffle, Neil Bonnett, Tim Brewer, Jeff Burton, Randy Dorton, Carl Edwards, Harry Gant, Harry Hyde, Ricky Rudd and Jack Sprague. The Pioneer Ballot included: Ray Hendrick, Banjo Matthews, Ralph Moody, Larry Phillips and Bob Welborn.

61 individuals have been inducted into the Hall of Fame since its first class in 2010, headlined by the late Dale Earnhardt. The Class of 2024 featured seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson as the headliner. The 2024 Induction Ceremony took place this past January. A date for the 2025 Induction Ceremony has not yet been announced.

Carl Edwards joins NASCAR Hall of Fame

Edwards, 44, walked away from NASCAR’s premier series at the age of 36. He compiled 28 victories, and though he never claimed a Cup Series championship, though he won the Xfinity Series championship in 2007. Edwards had some close calls throughout his career, finishing second in the final points standings in 2008 and 2011. He finished in the top-10 of the points standings in eight of his 12 seasons in the Cup Series, including a fourth-place finish in his final campaign in 2016.

While he never won the Daytona 500, Edwards did pick up a victory in the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway and the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway. He was named one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers last year.

This story is developing…