Guthrie, Earnhardt Voted Into IMS Hall of Fame

by Cyndi Paceley Share
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EmailIndianapolis, IN — Janet Guthrie and Dale Earnhardt will comprise the 2020 inductee class of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame.



The two drivers were chosen from a ballot of 14 nominees and will be honored in a May 21 ceremony in downtown Indianapolis.

An accomplished road racer before coming to Indianapolis, Guthrie’s historic tenure at IMS began in 1976 when she became the first female assigned to a car on the entry list. She didn’t make a qualifying attempt but returned in 1977 and became the first female qualifier in race history. Guthrie finished 9th in 1978, the best finish by a female until Danica Patrick’s 4th-place result in 2005. Guthrie’s finish was even more remarkable given that she had cracked her wrist several days before the race, secretly wore a cast and essentially drove an Indy car one-handed for 500 miles.

Earnhardt amassed an impressive record at the Brickyard 400, earning five top-10 finishes in just seven starts, including an extremely popular win in 1995. His NASCAR career included seven NASCAR Cup Series championships, tying Richard Petty for the most in history (later equaled by Jimmie Johnson), plus 76 Cup series wins, including the 1998 Daytona 500.

The IMS Hall of Fame is under the auspices of the IMS Museum, where it was moved in 1962 by then-Speedway president Tony Hulman Jr.