NASCAR announced the 2009 inductees into their Hall of Fame this week. Most of you are probably thinking something along the lines of “I didn’t know NASCAR even had a Hall of Fame.” And that’s OK, because they didn’t. This is a first for the sport.
Among the five inductees into the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame are Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt, which should surprise exactly no one. With 14 Cup Championships between them (nicely distributed at 7 apiece), there was no question that these two giants in the world of racing should have been inducted.
Richard Petty is the King of NASCAR, who retired as a legend. Earnhardt was on pace to eclipse even Petty when his life was cut tragically short in 2001. A blind monkey who was never within a thousand miles of Talladega could have predicted those two spots.
Less well-known is Junior Johnson, who was one of the first great NASCAR drivers. His 50 wins as a driver are not among the tops in the sport, but he was a major player in the early success and development of the racing league. After he retired, he continued to be involved as a car owner with a long and successful track record.
The final two slots went to Bill France, Sr. and Bill France, Jr. The Senior France was the founder of NASCAR back in the 1940s. He ran the league for over twenty years, before handing control over to Bill Junior, who likewise ruled NASCAR for over two decades. Which is all good stuff. Bill Sr. created the whole shebang. Bill Jr. presided over the massive growth of the sport in the 80s.
But to give two spots out of five in the inaugural class to two guys who never sat behind the wheel? Forty percent of the inductees in the Hall of Fame are in the France family. I’m sure they contributed a great deal to the sport, but NASCAR would have been better off leaving Billy Jr. until next year and including another driver this time around. I think I’ll pass on a trip to the Hall this year.
