The next inductees into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame include competitors in NASCAR, CART and drag racing, plus a racing executive and the first member who drove boats. Officials of the Talladega-based hall announced Thursday in Birmingham that the Class of 2004 will be: —– Charles “Red” Farmer, who raced and won in seven different decades starting in the 1940s. Farmer, who still runs dirt tracks every weekend, has won four NASCAR Touring Series Championships and was named one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers. —– Bill France Jr., who took over as NASCAR’s top executive from his father in 1972 and turned it into a national sport and hot television commodity. He handed the presidency to Mike Helton in 2000 and the CEO position to his son, Brian, this year. —– Shirley Muldowney, who has won four Top Fuel national championships in drag racing and has been named to drag racing’s All-American team five times. A crash in 1984 nearly ended her career, but she returned to racing 18 months later. —– Bill Muncey, who won eight Gold Cups, seven national championships, and four world titles in hydroplane racing. Muncey, who had a record 62 wins, died at age 52 from crash injuries. He is the first power boat racer to be chosen for the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. —– Bobby Rahal, who has won three CART championships, 24 races and 18 poles. He won the 1986 Indianapolis 500, as well as the 24 Hours of Daytona and the 12 House of Sebring, and was selected by RACER magazine as one of the 20 Greatest Drivers of the 20th Century. The five will be inducted on April 22, bringing the total membership to 106.( AJC/AP )(10-31-2003)
