LONG BEACH, Calif. — The Motorsports Hall of Fame of America announced its 2026 Induction class today at the 50th running of the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach.
Legendary sprint car racer Sammy Swindell (Open Wheel) and two-time Daytona 500 winner Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Stock Car) headline the class that includes NHRA Competition Director Steve Gibbs (Drag Racing), one of America’s greatest living motorsports reporters Pete Lyons (Media), one of America’s most accomplished road racers John Morton (Sports Cars), 2000 MotoGP World Champion Kenny Roberts Jr. (Motorcycles) and the winningest driver in Unlimited Hydroplane history Dave Villwock(Powerboats).
“Once again, our voters have chosen a group of all-time motorsports greats,” said MSHFA president George Levy. “True ‘Heroes of Horsepower’ who will be admired today and inspire the champions of tomorrow. The Class of 2026 is another revered and accomplished group of racers, and we can’t wait to welcome them into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America next March.”
Levy was joined by inductees Morton and Lyons for the class enveiling.
A pair of class of 2026 Historic category inductees will be announced this summer that will be enshrined next March along with the seven inductees unveiled at Long Beach.
Each of the MSHFA’s inductees is elected by a straight vote of 200+ motorsports experts — half of them inductees themselves.
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
During a 19-year NASCAR Cup Series career, the younger Earnhardt won 26 races, including two Daytona 500s (2004, 2014) and captured the Most Popular Driver Award a record 15 straight times (2003-2017).
The streak ended only when he retired from full-time driving. His 26 wins put him 32nd all-time, tied with Fred Lorenzen and ahead of other MSHFA inductees, including Joe Weatherly, Terry Labonte, Benny Parsons and Buddy Baker. He was phenomenal on restrictor plate tracks. From 2001 – 2003 he won four straight races at Talladega.
In addition to his two Daytona 500 victories, he finished second in the 500 four times. Although his highest ranking in Cup Series points was third (2003), Earnhardt Jr. won two Xfinity Series championships as a driver (1998, 1999) and five as an owner (2004, 2005, 2014, 2017, 2018), helping Martin Truex Jr., Chase Elliott, William Byron and Tyler Reddick advance to the top level. Since retiring from driving, he’s become a popular author, podcaster and was a color analyst on NBC. Earnhardt was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in 2022.
Steve Gibbs
Wally Parks, a 1993 MSHFA inductee, hired Gibbs in 1969 to sell ads for NHRA’s National Dragster. Six months later, they decided they needed the man who started in the sport helping out at the San Gabriel, Irwindale and Fremont dragways, even more, to help run the burgeoning number of NHRA national events. Soon he was the sanctioning body’s competition director, where he became known as “a racer’s best friend.” During his 25-year tenure, he conducted over 400 nationals and implemented numerous ideas to make the sport faster, better and safer, including reestablishing the NHRA Safety Safari. In 1990, Gibbs started NHRA Historical Services. In 1992, he created the California Hot Rod Reunion to raise funds for the proposed Wally Parks NHRA Motorsports Museum. Six years later, it became reality, and Gibbs was its first director. Gibbs received the Ollie Award, recognizing career-long contributions to drag racing, from the Car Craft Magazine All-Star Drag Racing Team in 1991, the NHRA Lifetime Achievement “Wally” in 1995 and was inducted into the International Drag Racing Hall of Fame in 2006.
Pete Lyons
Son of photojournalist Ozzie Lyons, Lyons is considered one of America’s greatest living motorsports reporters. He covered Can-Am, Formula 1, endurance racing, IndyCar and other racing subjects for multiple publications around the globe. He’s also written 14 books. Each year he sells calendars of his superb photography. In all his work, Lyons makes you feel like you’re with him at the track. Lyons’ work has won numerous awards, including two Motor Press Guild Dean Batchelor Award for Excellence in Journalism, an International Motor Press Association Ken Purdy Award and an International Automotive Media Award for Lifetime Achievement. Lyons is co-founder and past president of the American Racing Press Ass’n.
John Morton
The ageless Morton first made headlines in the early 1970s as lead driver for 2022 MSHFA inductee Peter Brock and his BRE Datsuns, winning consecutive SCCA C Production national championships (1970, 1971) in the outfit’s 240Zs and consecutive Trans-Am Under 2.5 titles (1971, 1972) in BRE 510s, winning 12 of 19 starts.
Nevertheless, Morton didn’t attract many top professional rides until the late ‘80s. He won twice in 11 starts in 1987 in underpowered Group 44, Inc. Jaguar XJR-7 GTPs owned by 2018 MSHFA inductee Bob Tullius and four times in eight starts in the top-rated Electramotive Nissan GTP cars in 1988.
Other noteworthy results include a stunning second overall and first in IMSA GTO at the 1979 Rolex 24 at Daytona in a Ferrari 365 GTB/4, first in Group C2 at the 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans and first overall in the 1985 L.A. Times GP in a Porsche 962. He continued winning into the 2000s. At the 50th annual SCCA Runoffs in 2013, Morton, age 71, started 13th and finished 10th despite having only a few practice sessions in the car.
Kenny Roberts Jr.
Kenny Roberts Jr. reminded a lot of people of Kenny Roberts Sr. Like his dad, he became MotoGP World Champion. They remain today the only father-son duo to claim road racing’s highest honor. Roberts ascended to the premier 500cc class in 1996 with Yamaha, then spent two years with his father’s Team Roberts developing the Malaysian Modenas KR3 racing bike. Moving to Suzuki for 1999, Roberts won his debut race and three more to finish a close second in that year’s MotoGP title chase. He won four more races the following season on his way to his historic 2000 MotoGP title over a talented rookie named Valentino Rossi who would rule the championship the next five years. Roberts’ results fell after that until he teamed with his father again to develop the Honda-powered KR211V and KR212V into serious challengers. He was inducted into the FIM MotoGP Hall of Fame in 2017. Every other American MotoGP champ — Eddie Lawson, Wayne Rainey, Roberts Sr., Kevin Schwantz, Freddie Spencer and Nicky Hayden — has been inducted into the MSHFA.
Sammy Swindell
Along with Doug Wolfgang and 2017 MSHFA inductee Steve Kinser, Swindell is known as one of “The Big Three” of modern winged sprint car racing. That he’s a three-time World of Outlaws champion (1981, 1982, 1997) and four-time runner-up only begins to speak to “Slammin’ Sammy’s” accomplishments.
Over his career, Swindell won 294 A-Main events and captured the 1983 Knoxville Nationals. He’s also a five-time winner of the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals (1989, 1992, 1996, 1998, 2009), the race some call the Super Bowl of midget racing, a three-time winner of the Eldora Kings Royal (1992, 1999, 2012) and the 1981 Ascot Pacific Coast Nationals victor. As team owner, in 1997 he became the first owner-driver to win the WoO Crown. Swindell also tried NASCAR and IndyCar.
The technically astute Tennessee native comes from a racing family. His dad, Sam Swindell, was a successful driver, as are brother Jeff Swindell and son Kevin Swindell. Swindell was inducted into the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame in 2006.
Dave Villwock
Villwock is the winningest driver in Unlimited Hydroplane history. His 67 career wins include 10 APBA Gold Cups and 10 National High Point Championships. He started racing at 16 and enjoyed years of success in flat-bottom inboards.
In 1988, Villwock was 6-Liter Hydroplane national champion. Named crew chief the following year for 1995 MSHFA inductee Chip Hanauer and Miss Circus Circus, in 1990 they won six of 11 events and the Unlimited title. In 1992, Villwock won his debut Unlimited race for Ron Jones Jr. and his Coors Dry.
In 1996, Villwock won his first Gold Cup and Unlimited title aboard Pico American Dream. Hired in 1997 to drive and crew chief Miss Budweiser, Villwock proceeded to win 37 out of 58 races, including four more Gold Cups, and captured seven High Point titles in eight years, despite losing two fingers in a 1997 blow-over. He added two Gold Cups in Miss Elam Plus (2007, 2009) and three in Spirit of Qatar (2010-12). After retirement in 2012, Villwock remains popular as a team adviser.
The 38th Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) Induction Celebration presented by Toyota Gazoo Racing, will be held in the Hall’s home in Daytona Beach, Florida, March 9 – 10.
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