Inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame Class Announced!

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) announced the inaugural class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame today that includes: Dale Earnhardt, Bill France Sr., Bill France Jr., Junior Johnson and Richard Petty.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel, consisting of members of the Nominating Committee along with 29 others representing NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, major race track ownership groups, retired drivers, owners and crew chiefs along with motorsports media representatives, met in a closed session in Charlotte, N.C. to vote on the induction class of 2010.

The class was determined by the 51 votes cast by the panel and the nationwide fan vote conducted through NASCAR.COM. The accounting firm of Ernst & Young presided over the tabulation of the votes.

The Class of 2010 will be officially inducted in a ceremony on May 23, 2010 at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte.

The results of the voting for the final five chosen in this inaugural class proved competitive. Also receiving votes were David Pearson, Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison.

As part of the inclusive voting process, more than 670,000 NASCAR fans submitted votes online at NASCAR.COM as part of the fan voting process. This remarkable fan feedback once again demonstrates fans’ passion and knowledge of the sport and its heritage. The fans voted Petty, Earnhardt, Bill France Sr., Cale Yarborough and Bobby Allison as their top five.

The nominees included many of the sport’s legendary names:

Bobby Allison, Buck Baker, Red Byron, Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt, Richie Evans, Tim Flock, Bill France Jr., Bill France Sr., Rick Hendrick, Ned Jarrett, Junior Johnson, Bud Moore, Raymond Parks, Benny Parsons, David Pearson, Lee Petty, Richard Petty, Fireball Roberts, Herb Thomas, Curtis Turner, Darrell Waltrip, Joe Weatherly, Glen Wood and Cale Yarborough.

The NASCAR Hall of Fame broke ground in Charlotte on Jan. 25, 2007 and will open May 11, 2010. The facility honors the history and heritage of NASCAR and the many who have contributed to the success of NASCAR.

Highlighting the Class of 2010:

-Dale Earnhardt-

Earnhardt co-holds the record for most NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championships (seven) with Richard Petty. In only his second full season, 1980, Earnhardt nabbed his first championship. He won consecutive titles on three separate occasions (1986-87, ’90-91 and ’93-94). Earnhardt’s 76 victories rank seventh all-time.

He is the all-time leader in race victories at Daytona International Speedway with 34, though the most prominent of them was a while in the making.

In 1998, Earnhardt won his most coveted race – the Daytona 500. The scene was a memorable one, forever etched in the minds of race fans. As Earnhardt’s black No. 3 rolled down pit road, a Daytona 500 winner at last, every crew member from every team lined up to congratulate one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history.

-Bill France Sr.-

Called “Big Bill,” only partly because of his 6-foot-5 stature, France spearheaded NASCAR from its beginning and directed it to its present status as the world’s largest stock-car racing organization. In 1936, he helped lay out the first beach/road course in Daytona Beach; in the first race on the course he finished fifth. Starting in 1938, he helped promote races on the sands of Daytona Beach. In 1947, France became the driving force behind the establishment of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. NASCAR, it was called, resulting from a famous meeting at the Streamline Hotel on State Road A1A in Daytona Beach – a structure that stands to this day, as a racing landmark. “Big Bill” France passed away in June 1992. He left behind a lasting legacy.

-Bill France Jr.-

William Clifton France is remembered – and revered – as the man who followed his visionary father at NASCAR’s helm, in the process becoming a visionary himself, as he guided NASCAR to unprecedented levels of popularity.

France became NASCAR’s president in January 1972, replacing his father and becoming only the second president of the world’s largest auto racing sanctioning body. His emergence coincided with the sport’s emergence, and its eventual ascent to become America’s No. 1 form of motorsports and the nation’s second-most popular sport overall.

France, often referred to as “Bill Jr.,” remained president until November 2000. At that time, France announced the formation of a NASCAR Board of Directors on which he served as chairman and CEO until October 2003 when he was replaced by his son, Brian Z. France. After that, he continued to serve the sport for the remainder of his life as NASCAR Vice Chairman.

-Junior Johnson-

Robert Glenn “Junior” Johnson is unique in NASCAR history, with tremendous success both as a driver and a car owner.

Johnson won the second annual Daytona 500 in 1960 and in the process, became credited with the discovery of “drafting” on the massive superspeedways. He won 50 races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series then surprised many people by retiring from driving to become an owner. As an owner, Johnson never missed a beat; through the years, his drivers won 132 races. There also were six series championships produced with Cale Yarborough (1976-78) and Darrell Waltrip (1981-82, ’85).

Named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers” in 1998, Johnson resides in Wilkesboro, N.C., and remains one of the sport’s most enduring – and endearing – personalities, at the age of 78.

-Richard Petty-

Known as “the King”, Richard Petty’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series records are staggering: Most wins (200), most poles (123), tied for most championships (seven), most wins in a season (27), most Daytona 500 wins (seven), most consecutive wins (10) and most starts (1,185).

Petty’s success continued even after his retirement from driving in 1992. He would still hold the top spot in the family business – Petty Enterprises, and now, Richard Petty Motorsports. In all, Petty Enterprises totaled 268 victories before merging with Gillett Evernham Motorsports for the 2009 season to become Richard Petty Motorsports.

Southern 500 is Back at Darlington, Stripes and All!

By far one of the greatest tracks on the NASCAR circuit, Darlington Raceway is embedded with amazing tradition and great racing. One year after NASCAR celebrated its 60th year, Darlington is set for a 60-year celebration of its own. Darlington is the second-oldest track in NASCAR and has hosted 105 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races over the past 59 years.

“Darlington is steeped in tradition, as much a part of the Southern NASCAR landscape as the sweet scent of magnolias,” said NASCAR Vice President of Communications Jim Hunter, a former president of Darlington Raceway. “The Southern 500 is the Kentucky Derby and Masters of our sport.”

It is only fitting that as part of its 60th anniversary, the track is bringing back the race name that it has been identified with since its first race in 1950. In addition, the outer retaining walls have been painted with red stripes, something that hasn’t been done since 1989.

“Celebrating 60 Years of Racing at Darlington Raceway is truly a special milestone for the track as well as NASCAR,” said Darlington Raceway President Chris Browning. “We wanted to go ‘retro’ for our 60th season and I feel like we have certainly accomplished that on many fronts. Going back to the Southern 500 race name and painting the walls in the old red and white paint scheme is definitely reminiscent of early NASCAR.”

The link to Darlington’s rich NASCAR history doesn’t end there. Three-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion and five-time Darlington winner Cale Yarborough will serve as the honorary pace car driver for the race. Yarborough, from nearby Timmonsville, S.C., will also be joined by several past Darlington winners for a special pre-race ceremony honoring their accomplishments.

Another Darlington story entwined with the great Cale Yarborough is the Jeff Gordon’s chance at history. A trip to Darlington Raceway is always welcomed by the current points leader. The four-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion leads all active drivers with seven Darlington victories and will make track – and NASCAR – history with another victory Saturday night.

Of Gordon’s seven Darlington wins, five have come in the Southern 500, tying him with Cale Yarborough for most in the prestigious event. A win this weekend will break that tie, but will ironically bring Gordon into another tie with Yarborough in the NASCAR record books. Gordon currently has 82 career victories, one shy of Yarborough, who sits fifth on the all-time list with 83.

“I was able to spend some time with Cale a few years back at an event at the track,” Gordon said. “It was neat to hear him tell stories about racing here during that era. The cars have changed, the speeds have changed and the asphalt has changed, but I don’t believe the driver’s thinking has changed one bit. You race the track here, not the other competitors.”

If there is someone who can keep Gordon from reaching history, it’s last years winner Greg Biffle. Over the last four Darlington races, Biffle has a series-best Driver Rating of 121.8, a series-high 174 Fastest Laps Run, an Average Running Position of 7.9 (fourth-best), an average Green Flag Speed of 155.230 mph (second) and a Laps in the Top 15 percentage of 88.2% (fourth). Plus, with three top 10s in the last four races, Biffle seems poised for a repeat.

One other driver to pay close attention to this weekend is Tony Stewart. Almost one-third of the way into Stewart’s first season as owner/driver of Stewart-Haas Racing, Stewart is third in the standings and a few breaks away from a trip to Victory Lane. Stewart has finished runner-up in two of the last three races and has been in the top five in four of the last five. Newman has been able to shake off early season struggles, moving up 22 spots over the past six races.

A Darlington win would be especially sweet for Stewart, who has won at all but three tracks on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule – Darlington Raceway, Auto Club Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Stewart came a step closer last year when he won the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Darlington.

“With the rich heritage and history at Darlington, to win there – it’s a feeling that’s hard to describe,” Stewart said of his NASCAR Nationwide Series win. “It’s just cool to win at Darlington… This series is just so deep in history, and this is one of those tracks where the history goes as deep as NASCAR does. To finally get a win at Darlington was a huge honor for me.”

Should be another great race at one of the most famous race tracks anywhere. And, it’s at night! This is one you won’t want to miss. Go Gordon Go!

Johnson is Trey-Rific!

Was there any doubt?  I mean seriously, did anyone really think that Jimmie Johnson wasn’t going to win his third straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship?  I think there was more doubt of the Detroit Lions actually winning a game than Johnson blowing his 141-point lead.

And just as predicted, the Lions lost to move to 0-10 this year, and Jimmie won to move to 3-0 over the past three years!  That’s right, three championships in a row!  Johnson tied Cale Yarborough’s 30-year mark as the only driver to win three consecutive titles.  And, he already has his eyes set on number four next season.

Three-peats are an incredibly impressive, tough to achieve, amazing accomplishment no matter what the sport.  In the big four sports, they are just as hard to come by.

In the modern era of the NHL, only the Montreal Canadiens 1975-1979 and New York Islanders 1979-1983 have won three (or more) in a row.

Remove the dominant Boston Celtics who won eight in a row from 1959-1966 during the early years of the NBA, and only the Chicago Bulls 1991-1993 and 1996-1998, and Los Angeles Lakers 2000-2002 have strung together three consecutive titles.

In baseball, the New York Yankees (26 total World Series Championships) managed the feat several times – pulling it off from 1936-1939, 1949-1953, and again from 1998-2000.  The only other team to do it was the Oakland Athletics, who conquered the feat from 1972-1974

Technically, in the NFL, there are no three-peat Super Bowl Champions.  However, the Green Bay Packers won the 1966 NFL Championship and went on to win Super Bowl I and II the following years.

So, now do you think what the 48 team did was remarkable?  I sure hope so!  He is in great company.

Johnson and his Hendrick Motorsports team have mastered the system, proving themselves unbeatable in their pursuit of Yarborough’s mark. They’ve won their titles with consistency, finishing outside the top 10 just twice in this year’s Chase (15th-place at Texas and Homestead), and by winning eight of the last 30 Chase races (14 overall in the five year Chase format).

Carl Edwards again came up just short.  Finishing second to Clint Bowyer by 21 points in the Nationwide Series division, he needed Johnson to have bad luck and/or falter to have any shot at a miracle for the Sprint Cup title.

Cousin Carl again drove the wheels off the #99 Office Depot.  He led a race-high 157 laps en route to his series-best ninth victory of the season, and 16th overall between the two top NASCAR series.  However, in order to win his first title, Johnson would have had to finish 36th or worse.  That didn’t happen.

Edwards showed outstanding class and grace at the end of the race.  Immediately after his trademark celebratory backflip, he walked over to Johnson’s passing car on the track to congratulate him with a handshake.  He and Rick Hendrick were also found after the race exchanging congratulations.  As word has it, Carl playfully informed Rick that things would end differently next year.

If there is a driver on the NASCAR circuit today that has the ability to dethrone Jimmie Johnson, that would be Carl Edwards.  He has the confidence, drive, and skill to mix it up with the best of em’.  And, as much as I know people hate hearing things framed this way, had it not been for two poor finishes in the Chase (29th at Talladega and 33rd at Lowe’s), we’d be crowning Edwards as the Champion.  His other finishes in the Chase were three victories, a second, three thirds and a forth.  To go along with his seven victories this season, he also notched 27 top-10’s and 19 top-5’s.  Outstanding!

That being said, Johnson and his 48 team are still the kings of the mountain till someone else knocks them off.  His season statistically didn’t quite match that of Edwards.  He grabbed seven checker flags, along with 22 top-10’s and 15 top-5’s.  However, Jimmie and Company have proven over the past three years that you need to be the best when it counts most – in the Chase.  Johnson had an average finish of 5.7 over this year’s final ten races.  Exceptional!

Congratulations to Jimmie Johnson!

Three-Peat for Johnson in reach after win at PIR

Just how good is Jimmie Johnson? Is he the best ever? Or is he just the best in the current Chase format? These are the comparisons that will be made (barring disaster) when  Johnson cruises home with his third straight NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship next week at Homestead.

It was just another day at the track for the 48 team. They led a race-high 217 laps out of 313, and no other teams were ever really able to mount a serious challenge to contend for the victory. Johnson now heads into next week’s season finale with a 141 point lead over Carl Edwards, and needs to only finish 36th or better to join the great Cale Yarborough as the only drivers in history to win three straight championships.

Edwards, who won the last two races and had closed the gap to 108 points coming into the Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500, finished fourth. Carl spent much of the early part of the race fighting with his set-up, but was able to get it together and move towards the front. Edwards, who is not mathematically eliminated, isn’t giving up hope. Listening to his post-race interview, he still believes he is alive, and plans to come out and give it 100%.

Even with a great run at Homestead next week, Edwards amazing year (and Chase) is most likely going to come up short. Carl has seven victories this season, and in the Chase came two of those, plus five top-5’s. A bad move at Talladega (29th) and unfortunate luck at Lowe’s (33rd) will have the 99 team wondering what could have been.

Even if your not a fan, you have to give it up to Jimmie. The man, as I have said in a previous post, is the King of the Chase. Yesterday’s win at Phoenix International Raceway was the 14th Chase win of his career and third this season. He has an amazing average finishing position of 4.67 over the past nine races.

Who can stop the 48 team? Who can even slow them down? One thing is almost for sure…it will have to be next season.