Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Hall Of Fame Announces 2023 Inductees

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The Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Hall of Fame (NFSHOF) has revealed the 2023 inductees, which include David Sisco, Ellis Cook and Charles “Preacher” Hamilton (in the Past Era) as well as Alton Jones, Tom Roberts and Richard Petty (in the Present Era).

“This year’s inductees, past and present, represent some of the most important names in auto racing and all played an integral role in the hallowed history of the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway,” says Scott Borchetta, Big Machine Chairman and NFSHOF Board Member, who announced this year’s class via social media. “Headlining this year’s induction ceremony is none other than The King, Richard Petty…and The King has every intention of attending! This is going to be an amazing night.”

The Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway Hall of Fame is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves in the field of auto stock car racing via on-the-track performance or meritorious service. The six honorees, selected first by fan submissions and ratified by a blue ribbon committee vote, will officially be inducted on Tuesday, Nov.14, beginning at 6 p.m. CT at the Nashville Fairgrounds Expo Center. This year’s class will bring the total inductees to 94 members.

2023 Inductee Bios:

Sisco, a native of Hohenwald, Tennessee, ventured to Nashville for the betterment of his career. He was the 1969 Nashville champion, which was the last year the half-mile asphalt track was in existence. Sisco claimed three wins at the Fairgrounds, then proceeded to compete for seven seasons in the NASCAR Cup Series. He will join his brother, Jerry, as a NFSHOF  inductee.

A genuine race supporter and contributor to local racing, Cook owned the car of two-time Nashville Champion Darrell Waltrip. Cook brought in Buddy Baker and Bobby Isaac to compete on the local level for national events. George Bennett won multiple quarter-mile championship titles driving under the banner of Cook’s Pabst Blue Ribbon brand before moving to the 5/8th mile oval. The Fall City and Pabst beer brands were showcased at the speedway for many NASCAR National Championship events.

Dating back to the 1940s, an early pioneer of the sport, Preacher Hamilton was ahead of his time. He and his son Bud laid the groundwork for the future of auto racing in Middle Tennessee. Hamilton was the car owner and builder for the first championship car on asphalt driven by hall-of-famer Bob Reuther. In 1958, he took it one step further with sponsorship from country music legend and hall-of-famer Marty Robbins. Preacher and Bud Hamilton were both a part of Robbins’ career locally and nationally. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree as Preacher’s grandson, Bobby Hamilton Sr., laid claim to multiple championships at the Fairgrounds and the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

When you think of Pleasant Grove, Alabama, in stock car racing, Jones is the first to come to mind. He competed on many Alabama short tracks, including Birmingham, Huntsville and Montgomery. Nashville Fairgrounds was always a track he enjoyed success. Jones was the 1976 Track Champion at the Fairgrounds, driving for the Butch Hawkersmith-owned team out of Winchester, Tennessee. The Crimson Dale Nursery name carried Jones to many wins at the Fairgrounds and one top five in the NASCAR Cup Series. Jones has 15 career wins at Nashville and thirteen career starts in the NASCAR Cup Series.

Roberts assumed the duties of Assistant General Manager & Public Relations at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway in 1981 with responsibilities toward NASCAR weekly racing and two NASCAR Cup Series events each year. He was the key person who put All Pro Series’ Bob Harmon and ASA’s Rex Robbins together to form what we know today as the “All American 400” event at the Fairgrounds. Roberts left the Fairgrounds in 1984, and his career is like a rolling billboard of success with public relations for NASCAR teams of DiGard, Stavola Brother, Team Penske and Alan Kulwicki Racing.

Petty is the all-time winningest driver for the NASCAR Cup Series at Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway. He has nine wins, one more than Darrell Waltrip at the Fairgrounds. Petty and Waltrip are tied for pole positions with seven. In 1975, Petty partnered with Fairgrounds Speedway Founder Bill Donoho, Cale Yarborough and Mooney Lynn (husband of Loretta Lynn) to build a superspeedway near the Davidson and Rutherford County line. In keeping with tradition, Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway was the only track in the nation that had a weekly NASCAR program and NASCAR Cup Series each year from from 1958 to 1984, as most only had two Cup events yearly.

Steven Boero
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