Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing announces 2023 Hall of Fame inductees

John Force, Shelly Anderson Payne, Ron Attebury, Sonny Messner, Carol “Bunny” Burkett, Graeme Cowin, Vinny and Richard Napp, Bob Frey, and Linda Jones will be the newest inductees into the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing’s International Drag Racing Hall of Fame.
08 Feb 2023
Posted by NHRA.com staff
News

John Force, Shelly Anderson Payne, Ron Attebury, Sonny Messner, Carol “Bunny” Burkett, Graeme Cowin, Vinny and Richard Napp, Bob Frey, and Linda Jones will be the newest inductees into the Don Garlits Museum of Drag Racing’s International Drag Racing Hall of Fame, March 9, 2023.

Anderson-Payne, the daughter of IDRHoF member and champion Alcohol Funny Car driver Brad Anderson, grew up in the sport of drag racing. She began as a crew member for her father’s team by cleaning parts and working on the car. She began her driving experience in Alcohol Dragsters, where she won the 1992 Southern Nationals. A few years later, she switched to Top Fuel dragsters, where she not only drove the car but also worked on it. While in Top Fuel she won four national events and set a speed record in 1996 that stood for several years. She continued to be a formative opponent throughout the years. In the early 2000s, she moved into the Pro Mod series, where she continued to be competitive. She suffered two terrible crashes in 2005 but came back in 2006 and had a solid campaign that season. After driving, Shelly went on to ESPN as a drag racing commentator. She stayed involved in the sport by becoming a crew chief as the family continued racing. In 2021, she began cheering on her daughter, Madison, and son Toby Payne as they began their drag racing careers.