Sullivan, Dallenbach to be inducted into IMS Hall of Fame

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emailBy Vintage Motorsport | March 4, 2022 8:58 AM ET Follow @http://twitter.com/VMMagazine

IndyCar stars Wally Dallenbach and Danny Sullivan (pictured above at Indy in 1988 are the 2022 inductees into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame, and will be feted at the 2022 Induction Ceremony and Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers Dinner hosted by the IMA Museum and Indy 500 Oldtimers on Thursday, May 26, in downtown Indianapolis.

Dallenbach, Sullivan Added to Star-Studded IMS Hall of Fame Roster

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emailBy VM Staff | 3.1.22 2:40 PM

IndyCar stars Wally Dallenbach and Danny Sullivan are the 2022 inductees into the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame, and will be feted at the 2022 Induction Ceremony and Indianapolis 500 Oldtimers Dinner hosted by the IMA Museum and Indy 500 Oldtimers on Thursday, May 26, in Downtown Indianapolis.

The two were chosen from a ballot of 14 nominees by a distinguished panel of more than 140 auto racing journalists, participants, and historians.

“The IMS Hall of Fame voting panel has selected two outstanding honorees for this year,” said Joe Hale, President of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Museum, which houses the Hall of Fame. “Wally Dallenbach’s success on the track as a driver led him to be a champion for driver safety as an official. Danny Sullivan had an impressive career as a driver and what sticks with many of us is his memorable win at the 1985 Indianapolis 500.”
Photo: John Mahoney

Dallenbach, the 1973 Ontario 500 winner, came close to winning the 1975 Indianapolis 500, where he led 96 of the first 161 laps, at which point he was forced out with a burned piston. Less than 15 minutes later, the race was halted permanently by a heavy rainstorm. He drove in 180 Championship events between 1965 and 1979, winning five races and finishing within the first five 58 times. Dallenbach was runner-up in the 1973 USAC National Championship standings and was 3rd in 1976. Additionally, he had 13 starts in the Indianapolis 500.

Dallenbach went on to serve as the highly respected Chief Steward for every CART (Championship Auto Racing Teams) sanctioned event held between 1981 and 2004.
Photo: Dan R. Boyd

Sullivan is remembered for his “spin-and-win” victory in the 1985 Indianapolis 500, when he spun directly in front of Mario Andretti at lap 120, regrouped, and then passed Andretti again at lap 140 for the win. Sullivan also dominated the entire first half of the 1988 Indianapolis 500, seemingly headed for a second victory until a handling problem caused him to hit the wall after he had led for 91 of the first 101 laps.

Sullivan won 17 CART-sanctioned events between 1984 and 1993, including three at Cleveland and two at the Pocono 500 and the Laguna Seca road course. He won the season title in 1988 and was third in 1986, his storied career also including success in the Can-Am, sports car racing and Formula 1.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame honors and celebrates the contributions and achievements of an exclusive group of individuals. Founded in 1952 as the Auto Racing Hall of Fame under the auspices of the Contest Board of the American Automobile Association (AAA), it was moved to the IMS Museum under the direction of then-Speedway president Anton “Tony” Hulman Jr. in 1962.