The 2024 season has been a win overall, except for the dud at Charlotte Motor Speedway. With action-packed races and even crazy on-pit action, fans had a lot to look to. But it’s now time to turn our attention to the legends who shaped that sport. The NASCAR Hall of Fame voting panel has made its selections and each of the selected are legends in their own right. However, not everyone is thrilled with the selection. Dale Earnhardt Jr. a legend himself has voiced his discontent.

He pitched another name and rightly so, someone who won six championships and even beat Richard Petty and more! Yet, he is still not on the list. 

Dale Earnhardt advocates for an overlooked racing icon

Dale Earnhardt Jr. is enjoying family time at their South Carolina holiday home. But amidst the enjoyment, he took some time to hop into his podcast and talk about the HoF selection. The NASCAR Hall of Fame voting panel has selected Carl Edwards and Ricky Rudd from the Modern Era Ballot and Ralph Moody from the Pioneer Ballot for the class of 2025. Also, Dr. Dean Sicking was honored with the Landmark Award. 

Each of those names has contributed success to their team throughout their careers. Edward is the winner of 28 NASCAR Cup Series races and the 2007 Xfinity Series champion. Ralph Moody is a two-time NASCAR Cup Series owner champion as a mechanical genius of Holman-Moody. Ricky Rudd won 23 times in the NASCAR Cup Series, including the 1997 Brickyard 400. Dale Earnhardt Jr. although thinks another name should have been already there. He said, “Um, there are a couple of people that I’m curious as to why they don’t get on the ballot. And one of those is Ray Elder.”

Now this isn’t the first time he has mentioned Ray Elder. He has done it before, and Earnhardt Jr doesn’t get why Elder is still not on the list. After all Ray Elder has won six championships in the Winston West Series. He said, “So there was a NASCAR West, which is the K&N series that way. There was a legit, there was a legit NASCAR Cup Series West at one point. And Ray ran in that series and won the championship six times.”

Before you go, “Oh well, that’s just the west” so maybe he didn’t have the competition. Well, when cup teams came to the riverside two times a year, Ray did run that race too alongside the Cup regulars. And not just run, he even won two years and beat Richard Petty, David Pearson, and Cale Yarborough. He even came to the Daytona 500 one year to try his hands, and the results were impressive. Dale Earnhardt Jr. said, “He came to Daytona to qualify for the Daytona 500 and I think he won a duel. Dang. And maybe, and might’ve run fourth in the Daytona 500 one year.” While Ray Elder’s name might not be so well known as his contemporaries during his time, that’s not to say his legacy lacks luster. 

Ray Elder dominating the West Coast and making his mark in NASCAR history

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Ray Elder is a true legend of the sport. He was in the Winston West Series scene of NASCAR during the 1960s and 1970s and he aced it there. Some referred to the “Racing Farmer” as the Richard Petty of West Coast stock car racing. His racing career was one of the best, winning six championships between 1969 and 1975. But one of his memorable moments was in 1971 at the Riverside International Raceway. NASCAR was holding a Cup Series race there and he clenched that win. He made history that day by becoming the first driver from Winston West Series to win a NASCAR cup series. And didn’t just win it one time, he did it again in 1972. During the 1973 DAYTONA 500, Elder impressively ran in the top five with a secondhand Petty Charger until a late engine failure sidelined him. 

In total, he has 31 wins and 47 poles in the Winston West Series. This just goes on to show his prowess on the track. While he might not have been recognized as well as his peers around the same time, his impact, particularly on the West Coast racing scene was profound. 

Ray Elder passed away on November 24, 2011, but his legacy lives on. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s influential presence in NASCAR offers hope that Elder’s contributions will one day receive the recognition they deserve.