Capps, Sampey to be inducted into Motorsports Hall of Fame of America

NHRA racers Ron Capps and Angelle Sampey will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) in its 2027 class. Capps and Sampey, both members of NHRA’s recently announced Top 75 Drivers list from its first 75 years, will be inducted next March in Daytona Beach, Fl.

NHRA racers Ron Capps and Angelle Sampey will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America (MSHFA) in its 2027 class.

Capps and Sampey, both members of NHRA’s recently announced Top 75 Drivers list from its first 75 years, will be inducted next March in Daytona Beach, FL

Sampey is not just one of the most successful female racers in drag racing history, she is one of the most successful in motorsports history. Over the course of her career, the hugely popular New Orleans native has won three NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle championships (2000-02) and, as of 2024, remains third all-time in NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle wins with 46. Sampey, 1990 inductee Shirley Muldowney, and Pro Stock champion Erica Enders are the only female Professional racers with more than 10 NHRA event victories. After Enders’ six, Sampey and Muldowney are the only women with three NHRA championships.

“I found out when we were in Phoenix testing, and I was shocked,” said Sampey. “It’s honestly probably the biggest honor that I’ve had in my career. I had heard at one time I was going to be on the ballot, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but I thought maybe someday. Then, when they told me, I was honestly shocked. My first thought was that I’ve dedicated 30 years of my life to this sport and made some serious sacrifices both personally and professionally just to do what I love doing. Moments like this make it all worthwhile.

“This induction is a fitting recognition for Angelle, who is one of the most accomplished and influential competitors in NHRA history,” Cromwell said. “Her victories and championships in Pro Stock Motorcycle showcased a sustained excellence, serving as a trailblazer for women in motorsports and an inspiration to fans. Now, as a brand ambassador for our title sponsor, Mission Foods, and her continued success on the track in Top Alcohol Dragster, Angelle continues to have a significant impact in our sport, and it’s a proud moment to have her legacy recognized.”

The Class of 2027 also includes four-time IndyCar race winner and multiple USAC Champion, Gary Bettenhausen (Open Wheel); founder of the successful Dyson Racing and a winning Rolex 24 At Daytona driver, Rob Dyson (Sports Cars); two-time Daytona 500 champion and winner of 15 straight NASCAR Most Popular Driver Awards, Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Stock Cars); the executive who led GM’s racing operations to unprecedented results, Herb Fishel (Business); a two-time Indianapolis 500 winning car owner and three-time second-place finisher at the Brickyard as a driver, Harry Hartz (Historic); the two-time Unlimited Air Racing champion and a world speed record setter for piston-engine planes, Steve Hinton (Aviation); the first woman to win Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year, Lyn St. James (At Large); and one of NASCAR’s most successful engine builders and a winner of 57 races as a team owner, Robert Yates (Stock Cars).

“It’s an honor for the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America to be welcomed each year to make this important announcement at the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach,” said MSHFA president Daren Lucas. “We want to thank the Grand Prix Association of Long Beach, INDYCAR, IMSA, and so many other top organizations and individuals who make this possible every year. The Class of 2027 is as accomplished as any group of iconic motorsports inductees in our nearly 40-year history, all still revered and admired today, and their legacies and achievements will now be forever memorialized at the Hall of Fame of ALL motorsports. Congratulations to the Class of 2027!”

For more information or to purchase Class of 2027 Induction tickets, visit the MSHFA at www.mshf.com.

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About NHRA

NHRA is the primary sanctioning body for the sport of drag racing in the United States. NHRA presents 20 national events featuring the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series and NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, as well as the Congruity NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series presented by LearnEV+, NHRA Flexjet Factory Stock Showdown™, NHRA Holley EFI Factory X, Pingel Top Fuel Motorcycle and Johnson’s Horsepowered Garage NHRA Mountain Motor Pro Stock at select national events. NHRA provides competition opportunities for drivers of all levels in the NHRA Summit Racing Series and NHRA Street Legal™. NHRA also offers the NHRA Jr. Street® program for teens and the Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League® for youth ages 5 to 17. With 110 Member Tracks, NHRA allows racers to compete at a variety of locations nationally and internationally. NHRA’s Youth and Education Services® (YES) Program reaches over 30,000 students annually to ignite their interest in automotive and racing related careers. NHRA’s streaming service, NHRA.tv®, allows fans to view all NHRA national events as well as exclusive features of the sport. In addition, NHRA owns and operates three racing facilities: Gainesville Raceway in Florida; Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park; and In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip in Southern California. For more information, log on to www.NHRA.com, or visit the official NHRA pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.