BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — NASCAR Cup Series champions Kurt Busch and Kevin Harvick, along with international sports car star and Indianapolis 500 rookie of the year Lyn St. James are among 10 finalists vying for induction into the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023.
Final voting by the Hall’s Board of Directors to select the five 2023 inductees continues through February 6. Five Heritage candidates from racing’s historic era also will also be inducted in the Class of 2023. Their selection will be announced later this spring.
The Class of 2023 will be enshrined on June 8. The event, presented by World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway, will be staged for the second time in Sonoma Raceway’s Turn 11 Club and will feature naming of the 3rd Annual Knockin Doorz Down Philanthropist of the Year presented by 51FIFTY.
The event serves as kickoff for the raceway’s June 8-11 NASCAR Cup Series, inaugural Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series West weekend.
“When the Hall of Fame first became my responsibility from a leadership standpoint three decades ago, I had a vision that in time we would grow to the height that we could recognize those who came from the west and stood out in forms of racing besides stock cars,” said Ken Clapp, chairman and CEO of the West Coast Stock Car/Motorsports Hall of Fame. “We have more than achieved that, as is displayed in this year’s candidates we will be honoring.
“This has led to more than one huge positive as we will from all indications, by the end of 2023, the organization will be able to reach $800,000 in gifting to varied charities since June of 2017. The future is bright and getting brighter every day.”
Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion, has won 34 times in NASCAR’s premier series. The Las Vegas native counts victories with five different organizations, highlighted by the 2017 Daytona 500 and 2010 Coca-Cola 600. Busch, who announced his retirement from full time competition at the conclusion of the 2022 season, most recently won with 23XI Racing.
Harvick won the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series title driving for Stewart-Haas Racing. The Bakersfield, Calif. native joined Richard Childress Racing in 2001 and won 23 times for the storied organization. After moving to SHR in 2014, Harvick has 37 wins to date. Harvick is a former NASCAR Xfinity Series champion, as well as a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series owner champion with wife Delana.
Vasser, the final American-born Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) champion in 1996, won nine times for Chip Ganassi Racing on ovals, road courses and street courses – including the CART street race in Queensland, Australia. The Canoga Park, Calif. native’s final victory – for Team Rahal at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. – was CART’s fastest race at an average speed of 197.997 mph.
St. James shared class wins in two Daytona 24 Hour races, the 12 Hours of Sebring and the 24 Hours of Nurburgring. St. James also competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. She started 62 IMSA GT races, winning six times and become the only woman to win a race driving solo. The Scottsdale, Ariz. resident made seven Indianapolis 500 starts and was named the 1992 rookie of the year – the first woman to be honored.
Busch, Harvick and St. James are first-time nominees, as are Matt Crafton of Tulare, Calif. and Davey Hamilton of Nampa, Idaho. Crafton is a three-time NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series champion and winner of 15 races in 22 fulltime seasons in the NASCAR national series. Hamilton owns multiple pavement supermodified championships and is an 11-time Indianapolis 500 starter and radio/television broadcaster.
Previous nominees making the final ballot are Vasser; Tony Hunt, Brent Kaeding, Greg Pickett and Nick Rescino.