Each year for the first five years, eight drivers will be nominated to join the Driver Ratings Hall of Fame. Four drivers will be inducted into the Hall of Fame. After the five year period has elapsed, it will switch to six nominees and three will be inducted.
Their driver ratings will play the biggest part in this. A driver must be inactive in IndyCar for five years before being eligible to be inducted. Drivers measured in the period of 1984-2019 are being considered, with a driver needing at least 20 starts to be eligible. Stats listed next to each driver are in their measured period of 1984-2019.
Here are the 2020 Driver Ratings Hall of Fame nominees:
Alex Zanardi
Rating - 7.38
Oval Rating - 7.18
Road Course Rating - 7.52
Starts - 64
First Ballot
Alex Zanardi was one of the most dominant drivers of the post-split era and made himself a fixture at the front of the field in the CART Glory Days. He also helped elevate Chip Ganassi Racing to the elite powerhouse team that we see today.
Bobby Rahal
Rating - 7.28
Oval Rating - 7.21
Road Course Rating - 7.33
Starts - 242
First Ballot
Bobby Rahal is perhaps one of the most consistently great drivers in IndyCar history. He barely had any off years. Towards the end of his career his pace dropped with one poor year with Honda development sprinkled in the middle, but other than that, Rahal was fast everywhere and consistently a championship threat.
Dario Franchitti
Rating - 7.28
Oval Rating - 7.21
Road Course Rating - 7.35
Starts - 265
First Ballot
Few dominated an era of high competition quite like Dario Franchitti did. Four straight championships in seasons he raced between 2007-2011 (he did not race in IndyCar in 2008) is an unheard of statistic. No matter where he raced or what team he raced for, Franchitti was consistent and fast everywhere.
Emerson Fittipaldi
Rating - 7.33
Oval Rating - 7.11
Road Course Rating - 7.47
Starts - 195
First Ballot
Emerson Fittipaldi went from Formula 1 champion to IndyCar driver, and he had to slowly build his way up to a champion. He slowly helped Patrick Racing turn back into a giant of the IndyCar world before ending up with Team Penske, including being on one of the greatest teams of all-time, the 1994 Team Penske squad.
Mario Andretti
Rating - 7.50
Oval Rating - 7.35
Road Course Rating - 7.60
Starts - 172
First Ballot
Few names are more synonymous with success than Mario Andretti. Andretti, the patriarch of one of the most successful racing families in history, was so fast and so good on so many occassions, it's hard to determine where any weaknesses lie. I think my only two critiques are: 1) he retired too late, it should have been a couple of years prior 2) once the team he drove for Newman-Haas added a second car for his son Michael and eventually Nigel Mansell, Mario was consistently lower rated. Despite this, his skills and speeds were always on display.
Michael Andretti
Rating - 7.51
Oval Rating - 7.71
Road Course Rating - 7.39
Starts - 314
First Ballot
Michael Andretti literally re-wrote many of the records within Driver Ratings. One that will likely not ever fall is his insane 1992 IndyCar Season, in which he averaged over the course of the season an average rating 8.80. The year prior in 1991, he managed the second best rating over the course of a season with an 8.71. His time at Newman-Haas Racing is one of the best partnerships in the history of IndyCar. Few were as consistent for such a long period of time as Andretti.
Rick Mears
Rating - 7.51
Oval Rating - 7.84
Road Course Rating - 7.27
Starts - 119
First Ballot
Few were as fast or as more consistent on ovals than Rick Mears. Mears was consistently a class above everyone on ovals, displaying unreal amounts of feel and car control that often led to wins. His nickname 'The Rocket' became of the most legendary nicknames for one of the most legendary drivers in IndyCar history.
Sam Hornish Jr.
Rating - 7.55
Oval Rating - 7.68
Road Course Rating - 6.30
Starts - 1116
First Ballot
Much like Alex Zanardi wrote the record books for the CART era of The Split, Sam Hornish Jr. wrote many of the records in the IRL era. He and Team Panther won two straight championships in 2001 and 2002, including some absolutely dominant performances during those years. His craft on ovals was rarely matched out on track. He would later win a championship with Team Penske. His road course skills weren't the best by any means, but he still remains one of the best to ever race.
