NASCAR released its 2023 Hall of Fame class on Wednesday, which includes three legendary racers: Matt Kenseth, Kirk Shelmerdine and Hershel McGriff.
This was Kenseth’s first year on the ballot. The Wisconsin native won 39 races over 22 seasons and 697 starts. Kenseth is known for winning the last pre-playoff title, the 2003 Cup Series, before NASCAR transitioned into the Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff format.
The 50-year-old continued racing up until 2020, when he took over for Kyle Larson at the 2020 Chip Ganassi Racing event. Larson was fired for saying a racial slur during a video-game race.