I'm actually kind of surprised that no one has mentioned this yet. The first group of NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees were voted on this week, and winning the nod were Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, Junior Johnson, Bill France Sr and Bill France Jr.
There seems to be some surprise that both Frances got in, but that David Pearson was out. I don't begrudge the sport's founding fathers for having 2 spots. It was a vote of peers and fair's fair. The only thing I was surprised and a little disappointed in was that neither Smokey or Wendell Scott made the initial nominations.
Only thing I'd have done differently on the final vote was take Lee Petty instead of either Johnson or France Jr. It was Lee that created what Richard perfected.
Just for the sake of discussion, these were the 25 initial nominees:
• Bobby Allison, 1983 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and winner of 84 races
• Buck Baker, the first driver to win consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup championships
• Red Byron, first NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, in 1949
• Richard Childress, 11-time car owner champion in NASCAR's three national series
• Dale Earnhardt, won record seven NASCAR Sprint Cup championships
• Richie Evans, nine-time NASCAR Modified champion
• Tim Flock, two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion
• Bill France Jr., NASCAR president, chairman and CEO (1972-2003)
• Bill France Sr., NASCAR founder and first president (1948-1972)
• Rick Hendrick, 11-time car owner champion in NASCAR's three national series
• Ned Jarrett, two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion
• Junior Johnson, 50 wins as a driver, 132 wins and six championships as an owner
• Bud Moore, 63 wins and two NASCAR Sprint Cup titles as a car owner
• Raymond Parks, NASCAR's first champion car owner
• Benny Parsons, 1973 NASCAR Sprint Cup champion
• David Pearson, 105 victories and three NASCAR Sprint Cup championships
• Lee Petty, winner of the first Daytona 500 and first three-time series champion
• Richard Petty, 200 wins and seven NASCAR Sprint Cup titles -- both records
• Fireball Roberts, won 33 NASCAR Sprint Cup races, including the 1962 Daytona 500
• Herb Thomas, first two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, 1951 and '53
• Curtis Turner, first to win Daytona 500, Southern 500, Coca-Cola 600 in same year
• Darrell Waltrip, winner of 84 races and three NASCAR Sprint Cup championships
• Joe Weatherly, two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion
• Glen Wood, as driver, laid foundation for Wood Brothers' future team success
• Cale Yarborough, winner of three consecutive NASCAR Sprint Cup titles, 1976-78
I was a little surprised Barack Obama didnt get in .
I think they are all over the place on this vote.
Dale Earnhardt should be in the Nascar hall of fame but on the first round? You have others like Fireball Roberts, Cale Yarborough or Lee Petty and others that were a big part of nascars history. Dale is a big part of Nascar but I don't feel he should have been in on the first round.
I think they should have did something to show thanks to Winston as they were huge part of the growth of NASCAR. I'm sorry but it drives me nuts to hear them call a guy that won a championship a sprint cup champion. If he won the cup and the sponsor was Winston he is a Winston Cup Champion not a Sprint cup champion.
Earnhardt deserves the first round entry based on the fact he transformed the sport to bring its popularity to where it is today. End of story.....
I think the find in the infield really brought NASCAR to life. They started o get full TV coverage. Is this hall for the others NASCAR Series as well or just the Big One.