How wonderful it was to witness the first inauguration for NASCAR’s newly dedicated Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina. The original inductees seem to be the true titans worthy of the first class of those enshrined. They are:
Bill France, Sr. – Founder of the sport who propelled NASCAR from a small rural sport into a sports phenomenon ruling the southeastern United States and beyond.
Bill France, Jr. – Continued to family business into the new millennium. Under Bill France Jr.’s tenure, the sport with Winston sponsorship became a national phenomenon with its first nationwide telecast of the Daytona 500 in 1979, regular racing on ESPN and other cable outlets getting more complete to where every race was covered either on cable or a select few on conventional TV by 1990. 2001 saw the beginning of a huge TV contract initiated by NASCAR itself not the tracks broadening NASCAR to a much bigger audience. Through out the 1990’s more new race tracks helped move the sport to new territories bringing in new fans. Under his leadership, NASCAR became a full-scale major league national sport.
Richard Petty – began racing in 1958 and retired in 1992 during an era of huge change in the sport. The “King” won 200 races and seven championships becoming one of America’s most beloved figures in all of sports.
Dale Earnhardt – rough and genuine, Earnhardt is the only driver besides Petty to achieve seven championships. While as “down home” and folksy as can be, Earnhardt also understood the marketing power of the sport developing merchandising for the #3 “Intimidator” on scale with Michael Jordan. Few athletes in any sport created the intense reaction Earnhardt did. Fans either loved him or hated him but after his death in the 2001 Daytona 500 all appreciate the void his passing created. His death led to substantial efforts to improve driver safety in the sport.
Junior Johnson – is a true living legend dubbed “the Last American Hero” in an article written about his exploits by Tom Wolf. Growing up as a moonshiner from Wilkes County, North Carolina, he’d learn there were greater fortunes outrunning other cars on a race track than running from the law on rural North Carolina and Virginia highways. He was an ingenious driver learning such things as the science of drafting. He also was a pioneer in seeing the sports marketing appeal. His contribution to the sports were two fold, being a highly successful driver with 50 wins and owner with four championships with drivers Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip.
The induction ceremony emceed by long time television race announcer, Mike Joy, brought moments of joy, triumph, tears, and tenderness as various noteworthy figures and family members in each driver’s career highlighted their accomplishments.
Five months from now in October, the next five inductees will be announced and inducted next May. The first five will provide a slate impossible to top.
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