USAC inducts 13th Hall of Fame class in Speedway
NXTbets Pro | Published On: July 3, 2026
Hall of Fame
USAC inducted its 13th Hall of Fame class at its headquarters in Speedway, Indiana, and the ceremony gathered seven people whose work covered every corner of the organization. The class included officials Jack Beckley and John Cooper, car owner Blackie Fortune, promoter Sam Nunis and drivers Johnny Parsons, George Snider and Tom Sneva. Avanti Windows & Doors and RDI Development presented the ceremony. The group reflected the full shape of USAC history. It recognized the technical side, the business side, the promotional side and the racing side in one room. Beckley brought the mechanic’s perspective. Cooper carried the administrative foundation. Fortune represented ownership. Nunis stood for promotion. Parsons, Snider and Sneva gave the class its on-track core. USAC used the induction to honor people whose work reached beyond the spotlight but still helped define the series over time. The ceremony put the emphasis on careers that shaped the sport from the inside out, not just on one race or one season.
Officials Honored
Jack Beckley earned recognition for his work as a top mechanic and USAC technical director. His career sat at the center of the garage, where crews build race cars and where technical detail can shape the outcome before the field takes the green flag. John Cooper was honored as USAC’s first employee and as a longtime motorsports executive. He helped build USAC’s public relations and administrative foundation, then later moved into a leadership role at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. That path made him a central figure in both the organization’s growth and the larger motorsports world around it. Blackie Fortune brought the ownership side of the story. USAC cited him as the most successful car owner of the decade. His place in the Hall of Fame pointed to the people who turn preparation, funding and decision-making into winning programs. Beckley, Cooper and Fortune showed how much of USAC’s history depends on the work that happens away from the race surface. They gave the class a strong base and showed how officials and owners can shape competition long before the cars roll onto the track.
Drivers and Promotion
Sam Nunis was honored for promoting 42 USAC national events at Trenton Speedway, a run of work that shows how much endurance it takes to keep a national series moving. The drivers in the class carried the racing results that fans remember most. Johnny Parsons, George Snider and Tom Sneva were honored for race-winning achievements, championship success and Indianapolis 500 starts. Their careers stretched across midget, sprint, Silver Crown and Indy car racing, which made them a good fit for a Hall of Fame class built around USAC’s broad competitive reach. Snider also stood as USAC’s first Silver Crown champion, a milestone that tied him to one of the organization’s signature divisions. Sneva added an Indianapolis 500 victory, a result that still defines a major part of his career. Parsons, Snider and Sneva each built long, title-rich résumés that crossed more than one form of open-wheel racing. Their induction gave the class its driving force and completed a group that linked the garage, the office, the promoter’s chair and the cockpit. It also showed how USAC’s history rests on more than one kind of success.
