My Five For The Hall of Fame

I did it. I filled out my ballot with my picks for the 2010 class for the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

It wasn’t quite as easy as I thought. The first three picks were no- brainers- the last two required quite a bit of deliberation.

It’s an impressive list of visionaries, innovators, master performers and pioneers. In my opinion, all 25 deserve to be there sooner or later, it’s just a question of who gets there first.

Today- I share with you my picks. You all will have your own ideas. For my list- I tried to imagine what NASCAR would have looked like without them. In each case, I believe NASCAR would not have achieved the status it has had not these gentlemen placed their fingerprints upon the sport.

I’ll be curious to hear your take. Here’s my “Favorite 5″:

Bill France Sr.- It was the vision and command of William H.G. France that brought forth the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing- incorporated on Feb. 21, 1948. The Washington D.C.- born France had for years owned a service station, entered races and even got into the field of promoting them.

Up until NASCAR’s formation, stock car auto racing was rife with corruption and chaos. Quite frankly, those meetings in the winter of 1947 at Daytona Beach that gave rise to the organization looked like a scene out of The Sopranos. You want a working definition of gravitas? France managed to bring it all together in a way few ever could. From those meetings came a governing body complete with rules, guaranteed money for the drivers and insurance.

France governed NASCAR from its inception until 1972. In that time, “Big Bill” presided over an incredible period of growth. He also oversaw the construction of Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

Bottom line: without France, there is no NASCAR.

Richard Petty- 200 wins. 7 championships. 27 wins in one season. 10 consecutive race wins. One sportswriter called Curtis “Pops” Turner the “Babe Ruth of NASCAR.” If that’s the case, I submit that Petty is the “Cy Young of NASCAR”- with many records that will likely never be broken.

Beyond the track, Petty was one of auto racing’s most recognizable names. He parlayed that popularity into a role of a goodwill ambassador on behalf NASCAR. The #43 Dodge with the STP sponsorship, the sunglasses, the “Charlie One Horse”- it’s all a part of the legend.

There’s a reason Richard Lee Petty is called “The King.”

Dale Earnhardt- For the record, “The Intimidator” equaled Petty’s record of 7 championships- dominating the NASCAR scene in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Earnhardt also finished as runner-up three times. Earnhardt also won 34 races at Daytona in a variety of events- the most famous being his 1998 victory in the Daytona 500 on his 20th try.

Sadly- Daytona International Speedway is where life on Earth ended for Earnhardt on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. The response to his passing demonstrated the way Earnhardt had captured the imagination of NASCAR fans.

The son of a short-track legend with humble beginnings- Earnhardt translated his success into 41-million dollars in earnings. Earnhardt was considered a “working man’s hero”- though his only “Most Popular Driver” award came posthumously in 2001.

Rough on the outside, soft-hearted on the inside- Dale Earnhardt was instrumental in NASCAR’s growth beyond regional interest.

Junior Johnson- Robert Glenn Johnson is a NASCAR pioneer, arguably, the face of NASCAR in it’s formative years. Like many drivers of his day, Johnson honed his skills running moonshine whiskey on the backroads of the south.

Junior never won a championship as a driver in what amounted to a part-time driving career. He did capture 50 victories (tying for 10th all-time with Ned Jarrett) – including the second running of the Daytona 500 in 1960. He managed to do so in spite of a slower car. Johnson discovered that by “drafting” behind a faster car, he could increase speed and “slingshot” past the faster competitor.

Johnson’s greatest successes came as an an owner and ambassador of sorts. He won 6 championships as the owner of cars driven by Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip. He ranks third all-time in owner victories with 139. Johnson is also credited with linking NASCAR with R.J. Reynolds to form what became the Winston Cup.

He may not be the first name people think of when it comes to the Hall Of Fame’s first class, but no doubt the sport would be missing several key pieces without the man paid tribute to in the movie The Last American Hero.

David Pearson- Great rivalries make great racing. One could argue Richard Petty may not have one as many races as he did without a mirror full of David Pearson. The arch rivals finished 1-2 an incredible 63 times between 1963 and 1977.

Pearson’s no slouch himself with 105 career wins (ranking 2nd) and three championships. The pairing of Pearson with the legendary Wood Brothers team made for a fierce combination in the 70s. Though he entered only 18 races in 1973, Pearson won 11 times that season!

With the “Silver Fox”- it’s as much about how won as it was how much he won. In a manner very similar to Ned Jarrett and Lee Petty- Pearson could master just hanging around and then pouncing at the end. Pearson also very rarely ran a full-time schedule.

Plain-spoken and an individualist- David Pearson embodies many of the qualities of the original American stock car driver.

Whittling it down wasn’t easy. Among the list of 25 nominees- I think compelling arguments for Red Byron and Ray Parks- NASCAR’s first championship driver and championship owner. Bill France Jr. is also worthy given his supervision of NASCAR’s great period of growth during NASCAR’s “Modern Era.” Glen Wood may also be a good candidate for that first class. The Wood Brothers are one of NASCAR’s legendary teams and they brought much in the way of innovation to the sport.

Eventually- all these nominees will get in. As others have mentioned, it will only be right to include NASCAR’s first African- American, Wendell Scott- and the crafty, colorful Smokey Yunick- master mechanic.

PHOTO CREDITS- Bill & Anne France statue by hazboy, Richard Petty by nascar20guy, Dale Earnhardt statue by c.marsh, Junior Johnson by Bristol Motor Speedway, David Pearson by i_am_durin. Visit flickr.com to see more, or click on the hyperlinks.