Sunday, April 24, 2011

3rd Class Of NASCAR Hall Of Fame Finalists

5 more people get into the NASCAR Hall Of Fame in 2011, and this is the list of the 25 finalists.

Following are the 25 nominees, listed alphabetically:
* Buck Baker, first driver to win consecutive Cup Series championships (1956-57)
* Red Byron, first Cup Series champion, in 1949
* Richard Childress, 11-time car owner and champion in NASCAR's three national series
* Jerry Cook, six-time NASCAR Modified champion
* H. Clay Earles, founder of Martinsville Speedway
* Richie Evans, nine-time NASCAR Modified champion
* Tim Flock, two-time Cup Series champion
* Rick Hendrick, 13-time car owner champion in NASCAR's three national series
* Jack Ingram, two-time Busch Series champion
* Dale Inman, eight-time Cup Series championship crew chief
* Bobby Isaac, 1970 Cup Series champion
* Fred Lorenzen, 26 wins and winner of the Daytona 500 and World 600
* Cotton Owens, driver-owner, won 1966 owner championship with David Pearson
* Raymond Parks, NASCAR's first champion car owner
* Benny Parsons, 1973 Cup Series champion
* Les Richter, former NASCAR executive; former president of Riverside International Raceway
* Fireball Roberts, won 33 Cup Series races, including the 1962 Daytona 500
* T. Wayne Robertson, helped raise NASCAR popularity as R.J. Reynolds Senior VP
* Herb Thomas, first two-time Cup Series champion (1951, '53)
* Curtis Turner, early personality, called the "Babe Ruth of stock car racing"
* Darrell Waltrip, 84 wins and three Cup Series championships
* Joe Weatherly, two-time Cup Series champion
* Glen Wood, as driver, laid foundation for Wood Brothers' future team success
* Leonard Wood, part-owner and former crew chief for Wood Brothers, revolutionized pit stops
* Cale Yarborough, three consecutive Cup Series titles (1976-78)

If I had a vote, I would go with Cale Yarborough, Benny Parsons, Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress, and Fireball Roberts. My next five are The Wood Brothers, Dale Inman, Curtis Turner, and Darrell Waltrip. I know that some of my picks aren't as popular as I thought they would be. Who knows how the NASCAR HOF voters will do.

3 comments:

Zebster said...

Wow, picking just 5 from that list?! That's what you get when your sport's HOF comes 50 years into the life of your sport.
Here's my 5: Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Tim Flock, Richie Evans and Rick Hendrick.
I think they should make each year's vote be 5 drivers, one car or track owner type, and one crew chief type. Then you could add to my ballot Fireball Roberts to gve you 5 drivers and Dale Inman as your crew chief pick.

Anonymous said...

I think the first 5 years of any HOF you should take in more than the rest of the years, that way the pioneers get in for sure. I'd say 10 per year for 5 years,then limit it to 5 there after. This Year I'd take Tim Flock, Cale Yarborough, Joe Weatherly, Fireball Roberts and Les Richter as DW would have to wait one more year. You almost wished they had a wing of the HOF for crew cheifs as so many will get screwed in favor of a driver every time, same could go for team owners. Just my 2 cents worth.........Jim/Buffett Fan

Brent said...

I sort of like how they are getting people into the Hall of Fame. If you do the 5,1,1 thing after a while you have the Hall of Very Good because of the restrictions that you have to have a certain number of dirvers, owners, etc.

As for only picking 5, I agree. I could agree with 20 of these guys getting in this year. And it will be that way for the next 5 years. The Wing for Crew Chiefs is a fantastic idea.