(photo from nascar.com)
NASCAR has decided to leak slowly some of the 25 people who are on the first ballot for the initial induction into NASCAR’s Hall of Fame.
The first individuals to be inducted into the Hall of Fame should be, really, a no brainer for NASCAR! Unfortunately, NASCAR has limited the first class to five inductees, only. The life of NASCAR is now 60 years old and to just select 5 people for the first class is extremely unfair!
To have a 60 year history, and to limit the first class of inductees to just 5 people seems to be self defeating. It would seem that for the first class of inductees, those persons who were the pioneers and the backbone of NASCAR’s early years and growth, should be enshrined in the first class.
Here is my list for the first class to be inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame:
1. Big Bill France for obvious reasons, the founder of NASCAR
2. Bill France, Jr., got R.J. Reynolds on board as title sponsor
3. Lee Petty, Petty Enterprises
4. Richard Petty, 7 championships and 200 victories
5. Junior Johnson, driver,owner, car, and engine builder
6. David Pearson, 104 victories
7. Darrell Waltrip, 84 victories
8. Bobby Allison, 84 victories
9. Cale Yarborough, 83 victories and 3 successive championships
10. Dale Earnhardt, Sr., 76 wins and 7 championships
11. Rick Hendrick, car owner
12. Richard Childress, car owner
I could add a few more that are worthy to honored in the very first class of inductees. However, this is my initial class of inductees to NASCAR’s Hall of Fame.
What is your opinion? What would your initial classs look like?
I think that NASCAR is vastly limiting themselves. After all, they have 60 years of history and I think that the initial inductee class should be more than just five individuals. There are at least a dozen people or more that should be included in the very first class. Just my opinion!