Now that NASCAR’s Hall of Fame site has been designated for downtown Charlotte, frivolous debate has surfaced over who should be in the initial class of inductees. If the right sort of voting panel is established–experts with long memories–the first group in will be a) large and b) a no-brainer.
Bill France Sr., who founded NASCAR, and his son, Bill France Jr., who steered it to the level it enjoys today, should go in on the first ballot.
The first 11 drivers on the all-time victories list are all going to get in eventually, so why not be done with it first thing? Richard Petty (200 victories), David Pearson (105), Bobby Allison and Darrell Waltrip (84 each), Cale Yarborough (83), Dale Earnhardt (76), Jeff Gordon (73), Rusty Wallace (55), Lee Petty (54), and Junior Johnson and Ned Jarrett (50 each).
Earnhardt and Richard Petty are bolstered by their seven championships each, and Gordon’s four season titles are enough to put him in as an active driver.
Not until Herb Thomas, with 48 victories, might any driver be less than a shoo-in, and that is only because of modern-day name recognition. Richard Petty will tell you Thomas was one of the top 10 NASCAR drivers ever.
Their legendary names will put pioneers Buck Baker, Tim Flock, Bobby Isaac, Fireball Roberts, Fred Lorenzen and Joe Weatherly in the first time around.
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If any of the above miss on the first round, it will be a travesty.