NASCAR Preview Brings Drivers To The Fans

The Charlotte Convention Center and NASCAR Hall of Fame were abuzz Saturday afternoon, as the 2012 NASCAR Preview brought the stars of NASCAR to the fans a month before the season officially kicks off in Daytona.

The day was full of autograph sessions with drivers from NASCAR’s top-three divisions, as well as NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees and media personalities The drivers ranged from 2011 Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart, to young Nationwide Series stars such as Timmy Hill and Blake Koch.


Fans could be heard bragging about short conversations they had with the drivers, the smiles they got and the perfect autograph on that hero card or souvenir. One teenage girl boasted to her father how Danica Patrick liked her new Stewart-Haas Racing t-shirt featuring Patrick's No. 10 Sprint Cup car.

Walking In The Shadows Of History

What a day. Wednesday marked a special day in NASCAR history and a special day for anyone – competitor, media or fan – involved in the sport that has so many of us enthralled. Finally, after years of waiting and months of wondering, the first class of five inductees was announced at the Charlotte Convention Center in Uptown Charlotte. When all was said and done, the first class of inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame will be William H.G. France, Richard Petty, Bill France Jr., Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson. On a cold and rainy evening in Uptown Charlotte history was made and I could not have been more proud to have a small part in it.

Pulling up to the event, the first view I got of the new facility was the parking deck. Unsure of where I was to go, I ventured into the lobby of the new 19-story NASCAR Plaza. A wonderful entrance to the building, one thing I noticed was the lack of motorsports…well, anything. The lobby could have been the entrance to any high-rise building in Charlotte and was very unassuming to this first time guest. After a little help from a NASCAR employee – and the legendary H.A. Humpy Wheeler – I made my way down to the Charlotte Convention Center, where the event was being held.

After checking in at the media table my first stop was the NASCAR Hall of Fame car sitting in front of the ballroom doors. The Sam Bass designed car was a sharp and poignant welcoming piece for all the guests gathering for the announcement.

Once in the room I chatted with other members of the media about who would be in the first class and who would be left out. Each had their opinion and each offered their reason for why their choices deserved to be inducted. With Mike Joy, Darrell Waltrip, Kyle Petty and Ken Squire behind us bringing the event to all the fans across the nation, people began filing in and taking their seats. In attendance was David Pearson, Waddell Wilson, Ned Jarrett, Bruton Smith, Ricky Rudd and others. Watching the former competitors and future Hall of Famers mill around and laugh with each other was definitely quite the sight.

The much anticipated ceremony was nothing to write home about. The typically flashy NASCAR opted to do things in a classier fashion – short and to the point. A representative from Ernst & Young handed NASCAR Chairman & CEO Brian France the five envelopes one at a time. After each name was announced, a short video clip played about their career – however, Dale Earnhardt’s video lacked sound on the first go round and had to be played again.

From there it was on to the media frenzy of interviewing some of those involved in the voting process – including Humpy Wheeler, Lee White of Toyota and Winston Kelley, Director of the Hall of Fame – and then to the makeshift media room assembled in the Charlotte Convention Center.

Making a rare appearance was Teresa Earnhardt, Dale’s widow. All smiles after the announcement of his inclusion in the first five, Teresa made her way out to the NASCAR Hall of Fame car in the lobby where five girls stood in black dresses, black ‘Intimidator’ sun glasses and the iconic mustache Earnhardt sported for most of his career.

Media members and other guests were then invited by Teresa Earnhardt to a champagne toast in honor of late husband at the Ritz Carlton in Uptown Charlotte. The girls with the iconic Dale look again greeted guests who were given champagne and talked amongst themselves. Winston Kelley introduced Teresa before she thanked everyone for coming and said a few heartfelt words in honor of her late husband before showing a few new commercial spots promoting the Dale Earnhardt Foundation.

Standing in a room full of strangers, I kept out of the way and conversed with fellow media members Jeff Gluck of the NASCAR Scene, Jim Pedley of RacinToday.com and Brant James of the St. Petersburg Times. Eventually Teresa made her way over and kindly spoke with us about the day. For someone who draws so much attention and contempt from so many people, she was very friendly and cordial.

After receiving my own signature Earnhardt glasses and mustache, I walked back to the Hall of Fame through the cold misty rain. Thinking of the day’s events along the way I could not help but think how lucky I was to be a small part of one of the most historic days in NASCAR history. Sure, I was not on the Voting Panel – however, I did cast my vote online – and in no way was I anything more than another body in the room, but the important thing was that I can say I was there. Sitting amongst legends such as Cotton Owens, Bud Moore, Tom Higgins, Barry Dodson and others was truly an honor. Add to that the chance to meet Teresa Earnhardt in such an intimate setting and Wednesday was something I will remember for years to come.

As I came back to the parking deck I could not help but stop and look up into the dark sky at the curved architecture of the Hall of Fame and the towering NASCAR Plaza behind it. All of my life I have been dreaming of being a part of this sport and somehow that dream has come true. While I have yet to make my mark on this sport, I am honored to walk in the shadows of NASCAR’s storied history.

Building The Mount Rushmore of NASCAR

Besides the obvious story of who was named to the inaugural class of NASCAR Hall of Fame, one of the day’s hottest topics was the two-and-a-half hour long discussion amongst the 50-person Voting Panel that took place earlier in the day. With so many of NASCAR’s biggest names gathered in one place to determine the inaugural class of inductees, the discussion was in a word “passionate.”


The Voting Panel that gathered Wednesday morning consisted of Kenny Bruce, NASCAR Scene; Dustin Long, Landmark Newspapers/NMPA President; Nate Ryan, USA Today; Jim Pedley, RacinToday.com; Duane Cross, NASCAR.com; Ernie Saxton, Eastern Motorsports Press Association President; Dusty Brandel, American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association President; Ken Squire; Mike Joy, FOX; Jerry Punch, ESPN; Barney Hall, MRN; Doug Rice, PRN; Rick Allen, Speed; Ed Pepper, Chevrolet Vice President/GM North America; Edsel B. Ford III, Ford Board of Directors; Mike Accavitti, former Director of Dodge Brand Global Marketing, Motorsports; Lee White, President/General Manager, Toyota Racing Development USA; Ricky Rudd; Harry Gant; Ned Jarrett; Bud Moore; Cotton Owens; Junior Johnson; Barry Dodson; Waddell Wilson; Buddy Parrott; H.A. Humpy Wheeler; former journalist Tom Higgins and retired Associated Press writer Mike Harris.


Prior to the formal announcement that Bill France Sr., Richard Petty, Bill France Jr., Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson will be the first class inducted, the panel met to discuss the twenty-five nominees and voice their opinions on who should have been included and who should have to wait.


Former champion crew chief Barry Dodson likened Wednesday’s discussions to the Health Care debate raging in Congress right now. One of three crew chiefs on the panel, Dodson explained he was surprised at how many people spoke their opinions in an attempt to plead their case for who they felt belonged among this initial class.


NASCAR Hall of Fame Director Winston Kelley said that from the start the fifty people in the room knew they were about to make history. “We were selecting, somebody put it, the Mount Rushmore of NASCAR,” Kelley explained. “There was incredible passion, incredible professionalism and just appreciation and recognition of what we were about.”


“The atmosphere was fantastic,” Buz McKim, Historian of the Hall of Fame added. “We had a two-and-a-half hour discussion time between 10 and 12:30 and we got to thinking, ‘Hmm, how are we going to fill up that time?’ Man, it was awesome. Everybody that was on the Voting Panel was so diligent about their job, they took it so seriously. Everybody had great ideas and great suggestions.”


Former President of Lowe’s Motor Speedway Humpy Wheeler described the gathering had the feel of the initial founding of the sport more than sixty years ago. “It was a very historic feeling. I think a lot of people remarked it was like being at the Streamline Hotel when NASCAR was founded – without all the unfiltered Camel cigarettes and probably whiskey bottles, although we could have used a few of them.”


Wheeler went on to say once the conversation got underway the atmosphere was full of concern and consisted of very frank discussions about who belonged in this all-important first class. “I hadn’t totally decided who I was going to vote for before I went in there,” Wheeler admitted, saying he knew Bill France Sr. and Junior Johnson were among his shoe-in votes. “But when you’ve got to narrow it down to five and you’ve got all these people that did so much it’s really tough.”


With so much passion and importance placed on the responsibility of the panel some indicated the room was a bit nervous at the outset. There to calm the nerves and get the conversation started was NASCAR Vice President of Communications Jim Hunter. “I said, ‘Look, we want you to speak out. We want you to express your opinions, this is an open forum. No one in here will take it personally, including me.’”


A number of those on the panel explained the day’s discussions had swayed their vote and changed their minds. Lee White, who represented Toyota on Wednesday’s panel, called the debate “amazing,” saying that it was a complete surprise. He also believed that everyone’s vote changed four or five times due to the discussions taking place. McKim noted one panel member changed his mind four times before making his selection and signing his name and submitting his ballot. However, both McKim and Kelley had their choices made long ago.


“Buz McKim and I have probably spent more time thinking about this than most people in there because we eat, sleep and breathe this 24/7 for the past three years,” Kelley explained. “There weren’t many perspectives that I hadn’t thought of and many of them had come up to me at some point and time we have had those discussions. Some of the people it’s not their full-time job like it is mine. I thought about all of those perspectives, I listened to them and decided at the end there wasn’t anything that changed my perspective.”


“I considered a lot that was spoken a lot today, but it didn’t change my mind,” McKim added, “I still voted for the five I wanted to originally.”


Wednesday’s announcement was not full of the glitz and glamour that many expected. The event was short and to the point, with NASCAR Chairman/CEO Brian France opening the five individual envelopes that contained the names of the first class. A short video clip was played for each inductee, but Dale Earnhardt’s video was lacking sound and had to be played twice. Reports are that David Pearson, Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison were the sixth, seventh and eighth choices of the panel.


Much like the four faces on Mount Rushmore, these five individuals characterize the sport of NASCAR in different ways. Each left their own mark on the sport and forever changed the game. Each year following this one, another five names will be selected, but these five will forever be known as the first five. A true honor that each deserves.

Who Should Be In The First Five?

Tomorrow, NASCAR history will be made when the first five inductees into the new NASCAR Hall of Fame will be announced. Twenty-five former drivers, owners, mechanics and NASCAR personalities have been nominated, but only five will have the honor of being named to the first class.

Among the nominees there seems to be a few shoe-ins for the first class, including NASCAR founder and long-time president Bill France Sr. and the 'King' Richard Petty. Many also consider Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Bill France Jr. likely picks for the inaugural class, but with so much talent to choose from the final five may surprise some out there.

Now, you may be wondering who selects the five men that will forever be enshrined in NASCAR history. The answer is simple; NASCAR set up a 50 member Voting Panel which includes 14 members of the media, four representatives from the manufacturers, nine retired NASCAR competitors - three drivers, three owners and three crew chiefs - and two recognized industry leaders. The 51st vote will come from fans.

Without a vote on the panel, I made my voice heard by being a part of the fan vote online. Like many, my first choices were Bill France Sr. and Richard Petty, but from there I decided to take my time to think over who truly deserved to be among the most historic names in the sport.

With names like Bill France Jr., Dale Earnhardt Sr., David Pearson, Buck Baker, Lee Petty, Red Byron, Raymond Parks and others on the list, the decision was not going to be easy. To narrow down my choices I chose to focus on those individuals that truly shaped the sport of NASCAR and brought it to the next level. Obviously Bill France Sr. and Richard Petty had done that, but who else had made the most impact on the sport of NASCAR and deserved the honor of being among the first to enter the Hall of Fame?

For me, Bill France Jr. was a no-brainer. Working closely with his father as the sport grew out of the sands of Daytona and the clay tracks of Georgia, Bill Jr. assumed control of the family business when his father stepped down in 1972. At the helm of the company, Bill France Jr. took the sport to the next level by bringing national attention in the form of new fans and lucrative sponsors such as Winston.

With only two more choices I looked towards the Intimidator. There is no question Dale Earnhardt Sr. left his mark on the sport of NASCAR. An everyday hero from the mill town of Kannapolis, N.C., Earnhardt was a hard-nosed driver that refused to be pushed around. His toughness on the track made him one of the sport's most popular drivers and led to seven championship titles and 76 Cup Series victories. In addition to his success on track, Earnhardt's legacy continues to this day after tragically losing his life on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Through his death, NASCAR has taken numerous steps to ensure the competitors are as safe as can be and another tragedy like the loss of the sport's biggest name never happens again.

Twenty-one names left to choose from and so many greats, this was going to be tough. Should the honor go to Lee Petty, who paved the way for the Petty family and won the first Daytona 500? What about the first consecutive champion Buck Baker or the first NASCAR champion and war veteran Red Byron? Then there was the legendary Junior Johnson, who bridged the sport's history of bootlegging to the modernization of the sport in the early 1990s.

My last vote, while a tough one, was a clear choice - the legendary car owner Raymond Parks. Growing up in Atlanta, Parks' family ran moonshine, tuned cars and when stock car racing began in the Southeast Parks' cars were always among the front runners. One of the earliest car owners, Parks employed some of the stock car racing's earliest stars in Llyod Seay and Roy Hall and had legendary wrenchman Red Vogt. Tormenting drivers such as Bill France Sr., Parks' teams were among the toughest to beat on the beach course in Daytona and on the clay tracks speckled the South. When NASCAR was created, Parks played a crucial part in the process of legitimizing the sport. Once NASCAR was founded, Parks' driver Red Byron went on to win the first series championship. During his tenure in NASCAR after its founding, Parks' cars won only two races, but his impact on the earliest days of the sport earned my final vote for the Hall of Fame.

The NASCAR Nation and its hordes of fans will learn on Wednesday which five men will forever be known as the first class of inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame. One of the greatest days in the history of the sport, Wednesday's announcement will be sure to raise some eyebrows and get the sport talking for years to come. That being said, who would you like to see among the Hall's first class? Send your emails or leave comments letting me know who you would choose to be among the inaugural class.