June 15 is the date to know, and it’s rapidly approaching. Following that Thursday, two SCCA® Hall of Fame committees will set to work, finalizing their list of who should be considered for the following year’s SCCA Hall of Fame. Those committees are tasked with considering any member-submitted nominations made from the SCCA Hall of Fame’s creation through June 15 of this year – but if a member’s name has never been submitted, then the committee can’t recommend their induction into the SCCA Hall of Fame. There’s more to it, but for now, the most important thing is you make your submission by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on June 15.
The SCCA Hall of Fame process begins with SCCA members submitting nominations via this link. Those submissions go to the Nomination Committee and the Legacy Committee, with the Legacy Committee considering members whose primary contribution to the Club came from 1944 through 1960. Those committees discuss, debate, and ultimately vote on nominations to be sent to the Selection Committee, with that committee making the final decision. A fourth committee, the Steering Committee, oversees the process, without offering input on nominations.
The four-committee process ensures only the most worthy candidates are inducted into the SCCA Hall of Fame. But it all begins with a submission made by you, the member. You hold the most important step in the process.
How to Write a Nomination
Writing a compelling SCCA Hall of Fame nomination isn’t difficult, but it does require research.
“We see quite a number of nominations that simply say, ‘I nominate John Q. Racer for induction into the SCCA Hall of Fame,’” explains Dennis Dean, Chairman of the SCCA Hall of Fame Steering Committee. “Such a nomination is very unlikely to be successful. The committees want to know why the nominee should be inducted rather than other potential inductees. The committees do perform independent research, but it is unrealistic to expect them to start with just a name and then put together a complete case for a nominee’s induction.”
Before you begin writing, peruse this article that goes into detail regarding what to include in your nomination.
The Club’s Early Days
The Hall of Fame Legacy Committee has the important role of recognizing Club members whose contributions came between the Club’s founding and 1960 – which is no easy feat. Any member whose knowledge includes Club activities from the 1940s and ’50s are encouraged to make SCCA Hall of Fame submissions sooner rather than later, since the Legacy Committees charter only runs through 2024, with that committee’s final nomination submissions being for the class of 2025.
"Recognizing the history of the SCCA and how our members moved this Club toward being known as the best amateur motorsports club in the world is an important function of the SCCA Hall of Fame subcommittees,” explains Art Trier, chairman of the SCCA Hall of Fame Legacy Committee. “In doing that research and receiving nominations from the current membership, we remember and recommend members for induction into the SCCA Hall of Fame by recognizing their past efforts.
“The Legacy Committee specifically looks at SCCA’s history from the Club's formation in 1944 up until 1960, and we are always researching that period for nominations,” he says. “However, as time marches on, it becomes more difficult for us to do that without the help of the SCCA membership. Therefore, we are encouraging current members to reach back into their memories and nominate those older members whose efforts for the SCCA during that early timeframe should be recognized by induction into the SCCA Hall of Fame.”
It's important to note that members from the early years of the Club will always be considered for induction into the SCCA Hall of Fame – come 2025, however, that duty will shift to the Nomination Committee.
How to Submit a Nomination
For someone to be considered for induction into the SCCA Hall of Fame in 2024, nominations must be submitted by the June 15, 2023, deadline, and can be made several ways – the most straightforward of which is to use the online submission form. Another option is to email the submission to SCCAHoF@scca.com. A confirmation email will be sent when an SCCA Hall of Fame submission is made digitally.
Nominations may also be mailed to: SCCA Hall of Fame, 6620 SE Dwight St.; Topeka, KS 66619.
Those submitting nominations should include their own email address, phone number, or mailing address in the event they need to be contacted for more information about the nominee. And while the deadline for the 2024 SCCA Hall of Fame is approaching, members are encouraged to submit nominations throughout the year, regardless of the deadline.
