Celebrating NASCAR Hall of Fame Inductees – Class of 2025

February 08, 2025

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

Feb 08, 2025 | Edition #134

👋 Dear Motorheads,

We've got a surprise for you!
Last night's Hall of Fame inductions got us thinking... this seems like a blast! Why not host a party of our own, celebrating not just legends, but all drivers? Like an awards extravaganza! And here's the best part: we're putting YOU in the driver's seat to vote for your favorite drivers and crown the winners.

Think about it! Starting today, we'll be dropping multiple polls (or rather, award categories) in our newsletters, and you'll get to choose your picks. Then, just before the Daytona 500, we'll send out a very special edition newsletter announcing the winners, featuring your votes and comments. It's going to be fun!

But before we get this party started, let's give a huge congratulations to the newest class of Hall of Famers.

🗣️ Talk of the Town

NASCAR Adds 3 ‘New’ Names to Its HoF List!

Another year, another trio. And if you know who all have been inducted this year… you know it's a great group. 

First up we have Ricky Rudd. And before we begin, don't worry, we are not going to bore you with stats. The guy’s in the HoF, so he’s obviously got numbers.

Instead, what the Lucky Dog wants to highlight is his unmatched love for racing. Remember the time when he had his eyes swollen due to a crash ahead of the Daytona 500? It was so bad that Rudd had to duct-tape his eyes open just to be part of the race. We know it sounds totally bizarre. So here’s an old image that captured that moment in history. Talk about passion, right?

More so, he had the eagerness to learn. In his HoF speech, he talked about his first Cup race. It was 1975 Rockingham Speedway. And like any 18YO, Rudd was overwhelmed by his competitors. Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty, and David Pearson, all legends. But Rudd looked at them as teachers and ended up finishing 11th on that night full of awe. 

We feel Rudd is just this warm soul you can talk to endlessly. Just watch his HoF speech. There, he even gave some interesting titbits about his new friendship with Carl Edwards, who happens to be next on our list. 

It was good to see ‘Cousin Carl’ come back and clear the air on his abrupt exit, with all that 2016 fiasco, something we’ll talk about in the next story.

But if we look at his rise… he went from distributing posters with: “If you’re looking for a driver, you’re looking for me…” to being mentioned alongside Richard Petty, Dale Sr, and Bill Elliott. 

And despite what happened, Edwards only has gratitude for all the people who helped him. And that’s what he spoke about in his speech: the moments, the sacrifices, and more. Here's the clip. And good luck holding back those tears!

For the next veteran, we might not have a speech, but his contributions to NASCAR continue to live on, especially as Ford! The reason they are so big today is Ralph Moody. To give you an idea, he took his team ‘Holman Moody’ to such great heights that they won 48 of 55 races in a 1965 season. And that is just one of the mind-blowing facts. 

And when Richard Petty said, "[Moody] was the guts of the whole team," we agreed. What else do you expect from a man who drove a tank in the world war II?

🔍 Lucky Dog Adstop

Together With

Outsmart Your Body

Stuck in Neutral? Lumen Puts You Back in Control.

  • Find out if you're burning fat or carbs—with one easy breath.

  • Get simple tips to eat better, move more, and boost energy.

  • No diets, no guessing—just real data for real results.

Your health deserves the best. Unlock your body's full potential with Lumen!

P.S. As NASCAR teams need sponsors to keep going, so does the Lucky Dog. Which means, it is your support to our sponsors that keeps us in the race. So thanks for being a part of the journey.

🔎 The In-Depth View

Carl Edwards Gets His Perfect Goodbye

Let’s just make our peace with it, folks. Despite all the rumors, Edwards is not coming to Daytona. But at least, because of this HoF induction, the NASCAR community got to meet him again. 

And the good thing is, Edwards wanted to kind of mend things. His exit was abrupt, and he knows it. Since it was a decade ago, let us refresh your memories: Edwards was set to become the 2016 champion. But Joey Logano wrecked him with 10 laps to go! Here’s a video of that heartbreaking crash. 

Eventually, Jimmie Johnson took the title, and Edwards took a way out. No heartfelt goodbyes. No gratitude expressed. Nothing.

But it seems last night’s Hall of Fame Ceremony became Edwards' perfect moment to say his goodbyes. His exact words were, "I was 15 years old and dreamed to drive one of these race cars. Then I got to do it. Then I left the sport I thought man I’d really given up this and these relationships. And for NASCAR to invite me back, it’s truly hit home that NASCAR is a family. So really special night.”

After listening to his speech, and all the stories from his life, let's just say the community has forgiven Carl Edwards for leaving too early. But still, the Lucky Dog is upset about one thing. 

At the end of his speech, he just said, “Thank you, everyone” and simply walked off stage. To be honest, we were kinda hoping for him to do a backflip off the stage. Hell, NASCAR even made a whole video to hype it up. See this crazy and nostalgic compilation.

Speaking of his backflip, he actually gave the origins of this one-of-a-kind celebration. Spoiler Alert: It's not an original idea. So go ahead and listen to Edwards share the story.

Now, with all said and done, the only question that lingers is: when is he coming back to the track? Well, Kyle Larson is doing the convincing on our behalf. So… fingers crossed for 2025!

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Ballot 🏁

Who Will Be the Next Modern-Era Driver to Get Into the Hall of Fame?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

🌪️ Cause for Controversy

Ty Gibbs Is Already in Trouble!

In NASCAR, you don’t have to wait long to see the drama unfold! In fact, we’re not even at the Daytona 500 yet, and we've already got officials reprimanding drivers for aggressive behavior on the track.

The incident in question took place at Bowman Gray, also known as the Madhouse (for all the right reasons). It was during the Last Chance Qualifier when Justin Haley dove into Ty Gibbs, and what happened next was just… wow. 

Gibbs, while turning into the pits under caution a little later, saw Haley, and decided to exact revenge. It is actually tough to describe what happened there. But to sum it up, it seems Monster Energy gives you wings too! Watch the clip, you’ll see what we mean.

Seriously though, NASCAR is just as puzzled as we are. And Managing Director Brad Moran is going to have a chat with Gibbs before Daytona to “get his take on what happened, and make sure we’re clear on what we need from that point moving forward.” 

Now, we know what you're thinking… maybe Coach Gibbs should have a word with his grandson? It is probably high time, as Ty Gibbs is now at the Cup level, and this kind of behavior isn't going to fly with the veterans. 

Remember that 2022 Xfinity race in Martinsville? It all started when Sam Mayer bumped Gibbs into the wall on the final corner, and Gibbs wasn't having it.

The JGR driver then tailgated Mayer down the pit road, before the two had a lovely chat. Just kidding, it was more of a shouting match, which ended with Gibbs throwing a punch, and the officials jumping in to break it up. Here's the clip of the crazy fight.

Here’s how the Lucky Dog sees this. While Gibbs has the talent, he surely needs to keep it cool. And right now we’re hoping the chat with Brad Moran helps him realize that.

🔮 Lucky Dog’s Perspective

Is Tony Stewart Behind NASCAR’s Big Controversy?

You know how there's been a lot of buzz about Helio Castroneves entering the Daytona 500 and drivers calling NASCAR ‘desperate’ for their new Open Exemption Provisional (OEP) rule? Well, it turns out that Tony Stewart might be the culprit behind it all.

To understand the connection, let's go back to 2021 when Stewart, along with Ray Evernham, started SRX Racing. It was a 6-race series that brought together top racing talent, and it was actually pretty popular in its first year. But here's where things get interesting.

Fast forward to 2022, when Helio Castroneves showed up at Five Flags Speedway, literally the night before the race, hoping to get a spot on the track. And get this - he had already boarded a flight to Pensacola without even knowing if he'd have a car to drive!

Luckily, there was a backup car available, and Helio ended up taking it to victory lane, even doing his iconic celebration. But here's the thing - he wasn't just racing for the SRX trophy. He had made a deal with SRX CEO Donald Hawk to get a Daytona 500 entry in exchange for racing in the SRX series. And that's exactly what happened. 

Helio will now be driving Justin Marks' #91 car in the Daytona 500. Some people are even joking that Hawk might have had a hand in bringing in the OEP rule just to make sure Helio gets to race.

But hey, who knows? Maybe Helio will qualify on merit and even win the 500. And maybe Justin Marks will give him a full-time seat in 2026. For NASCAR, it’s not that much of a stretch, is it?

🏁 Lucky Dog’s Quick Ballot 🏁

For You, Who Is the Most Popular Active NASCAR Driver?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

  1. Ryan Blaney Refuses $300 Million Path, Disclosing a “Tough” Past - Full Story

  2. Veteran Rips Into Fans' Unwarranted Bubba Wallace Hate With Brutal Verdict - Full Story

  3. Dale Sr’s Bond With Richard Childress Soured Ricky Rudd’s Relationship With the Team Owner - Full Story

  4. Kyle Larson’s Gamble Proves Costly as Christopher Bell Goes ‘Opposite’ to Clinch Close Battle - Full Story

  5. Dale Jr Calls Out Fans’ “Dry Sense of Humor” Amidst Podcast Backlash - Full Story

💌 Feedback

How did you enjoy today's newsletter?

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.