Jeff Gordon, Howard Hughes join motorsports hall

Jeff Gordon has been inducted into the Nascar Hall of Fame. (John Raoux/AP)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Four-time NASCAR champion Jeff Gordon and record-setting pilot and eccentric billionaire Howard Hughes are among seven people selected for the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America.

The 2018 class was announced Friday at Daytona International Speedway.

The other inductees are drag-racing-car builder John Buttera, Indianapolis Motor Speedway founder Carl G. Fisher, motorcycle great Fred Merkel, three-time Indianapolis 500 champion owner U.E. Pat Patrick and sports-car legend Bob Tullius.

They will be inducted March 13 in Daytona Beach.

Hall of Fame President Ron Watson calls the joint selection of Hughes and Gordon "probably the best example we’ve ever had to illustrate the breadth of our inductee roll."

The Hall changed the date of its induction to better coincide with all the motorsports races and activities in Florida in March.

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