Is this hall for the others NASCAR Series as well or just the Big One.
I think one would presume that it would cover all of NASCAR. On the flipside, other than a few notable exceptions, most HoF worthies would have found themselves in the big show sooner or later. Richie Evans would be one exception (he actually was nominated) and Sam Ard from Busch GN would be another.
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 don't disagree that Earnhardt belongs in the HoF. For certain, 7 Championships says he deserves to be there. However I don't necessarily agree with your reasoning. (or the absoluteness of the statement)
I don't believe Earnhardt transformed anything. Not on the track. (other than making the bump-n-run acceptable, which many would argue is not necessarily a good thing. The other drivers didn't call him Old Ironhead for nothing.) Nor do I beleive he brought more fans to the sport....at least not in the same way Petty did. Petty was popular in the truest sense of the word...Dale was more of a lightning rod. YouTube Dale's Daytona win and watch the crowd after. Then YouTube the Bristol race when he wrecked Terry Labonte on the last lap and got away with it. Watch the crowd after that one. Not everyone loved him, and I do know that his driving style turned off as many fans as he turned on.
What he DID do was be the first to take his own image and milk it for its marketing potential. If there was anything that Earnhardt really transformed, it was the NASCAR souvenir business. Don't forget, Earnhardt did not gain his notorietey by being the "Man in Black". His image was a done deal while he was still driving the Wrangler car. The black car came later, and with a testosterone fueled fanbase that wanted to identify with someone with a badass image, that was the one that sold all the t-shirts. Plus it was idiot proof, in that the whole "Intimidator" thing kept the memorabilia flying of the shelves even when he wrecked people. It was win-win for him.
I was an Earnhardt fan, just let me be clear on that. While other kids my age had rock stars up on the walls of their rooms, I had posters of Dale. So I don't want to sound like I'm slagging him. Yes he was the face of NASCAR for a while, and yes he won 7 championships, so absolutely he's HoF worthy.
My only reservation is that I don't buy into the idea that he is somehow sainted now because he's gone. I do wonder if he would have been among the first group chosen for induction if he were still here with us.
I don't actually think he would have been.
Ask yourself this, how much money were these guys making before Earnhardt came along? Not a whole lot, Im not sayin he is solely responsible for everything. But when it came to marketing the sport to the working class family man, Earnhardt was the man. People could identify with him, Earnhardt the hard working family man(or so they say). Its like people ripping Tiger Woods, he is responsible for the money they make in golf today. Just like Earnhardt is for Nascar, Hey I am not taking anything away from anyone else but is responsible for the marketing and money we see in Nascar today.
I think the whole way they set up the vote was a bad idea. Not because of who the first 5 were but because there were only 5! Over 50 years of history and then when they finally get around to creating a hall of fame only 5 inductees? They should of had 5 inductees in several different catagories to begin with. The catagories could have been Founders / Administrators, Post War Era, Modern Era (Post '72). Then going forward the criteria could of been stiffened or loosened up depending on reaction and experience. Who is going to visit a HoF with 5 people in it ???
Have to agree with Ernie only 5 made me wonder too. You have Crew Chiefs, Drivers, Team Owners and so on.
How many are they going to let in next year?
should have put them all in... the hall would lack of stuff to see without