Emotional inductions usher five legends into NASCAR Hall
By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(May 23, 2010)
CHARLOTTE—An outpouring of strong emotions accompanied Sunday’s induction of five legends of stock car racing into the newly opened NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Suspense wasn’t one of those emotions. The inaugural class had been well known and well publicized—and deservedly so. Included were NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.; NASCAR’s second president and CEO, Bill France Jr.; seven-time Cup champions Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt; and 50-time race winner Junior Johnson, who also claimed six Cup titles as a car owner.
The ceremonies were alternately solemn and light-hearted but consistently genuine. In inducting his legendary father, Kyle Petty used the opportunity for some good-natured ribbing.
“When I was growing up, our house was right next door to the race shop,” Kyle Petty said of his father. “He would go to work in the morning, at 7 or 8. He would come home for lunch when I was young, have lunch, and then he would lay down in the middle of the living room floor, sleep till 3 or 4 in the afternoon, get up and go back to work.
“I never found that strange until you look at his career, and you think, ‘The man won 200 races, seven Daytona 500s and seven championships working half days.’ That may be the greatest statistic of all time to me.”
Richard Childress, Earnhardt’s team owner and best friend, appeared with Earnhardt’s wife, Teresa Earnhardt, sons Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kerry Earnhardt and daughters Kelley Earnhardt and Taylor Earnhardt to induct the driver known as the Intimidator.
No one was immune from Earnhardt’s aggressive style, not even his son.
“We were in Japan racing,” Earnhardt Jr. recalled. “I was racing for the first time against the Cup competitors and my father. It was late in the race. I got some new tires—only had a few laps to make those tires work for me. I got up underneath him in Turns 3 and 4, and I just needed two inches to clear him.
“I didn’t have him cleared. I slid across his nose, up to the wall. He carried me all the way down the front straightaway with my back tires in the air all the way into (Turn) 1. That was the day I met the Intimidator.”
Vice chairman of NASCAR, Jim France, inducted his father, Bill France Sr. NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France and International Speedway Corp. CEO Lesa France Kennedy did the honors for their father, Bill France Jr., after a stirring introduction from longtime friend Rick Hendrick. In a ceremony where the families of all five inductees played pivotal roles, Robert Johnson inducted his father, Junior Johnson.
“This Hall’s a tribute to everybody—it leaves nobody out,” Hendrick said after the inductions. “And I’m just real thankful that they’ve done it as professionally as they have. And I believe it’s going to stir a lot of emotion from all of the pioneers and the people today to try to make it even better and help to grow it.
“So this was a celebration to me of a lot of things—NASCAR, the history, these people, the fans.”
Perhaps Petty captured best the magnitude of the proceedings.
“It kind of hit me today that it’s really, really a big deal,” Petty said after the ceremony, “because NASCAR’s finally got their Hall of Fame, and I think it moved all of us up a notch. … I think now we’re as big-league as anybody.”
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Monday, May 24, 2010
Sunday, May 23, 2010
NASCAR Hall of Fame
NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte will induct its first five members, all of whom were instrumental in the birth and popularization of stock car racing in the United States and beyond.
The inaugural class includes NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.; his son and successor as NASCAR chairman and CEO, Bill France Jr.; seven-time Sprint Cup champion drivers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt; and pioneering driver and car owner Junior Johnson.
All five members of the first class of inductees played different but essential roles in the growth of the sport from a disorganized, disparate regional pastime to the big business it is today, worthy of multiyear national television contracts that are the envy of sports with lesser levels of exposure.
Even in a weak economy, with all sports facing uphill battles to keep their seats filled, it's not unusual for a NASCAR race on a given Sunday to draw more than 100,000 fans to the track. Each Hall of Fame member deserves a share of credit for the enduring popularity of stock car racing.
The vision of Bill France Sr. made NASCAR a reality. Bill France Jr. presided over its explosive growth. Junior Johnson was an innovator who also helped bring major title sponsorship to NASCAR's top series.
During his record-setting career, Richard Petty connected with race fans like no other driver before or since. Dale Earnhardt inspired intense emotions throughout NASCAR's fan base—both love and loathing—with his unrelenting aggressiveness on the racetrack.
BY RIED SPENCER SPORTINGNEWS
The inaugural class includes NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.; his son and successor as NASCAR chairman and CEO, Bill France Jr.; seven-time Sprint Cup champion drivers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt; and pioneering driver and car owner Junior Johnson.
All five members of the first class of inductees played different but essential roles in the growth of the sport from a disorganized, disparate regional pastime to the big business it is today, worthy of multiyear national television contracts that are the envy of sports with lesser levels of exposure.
Even in a weak economy, with all sports facing uphill battles to keep their seats filled, it's not unusual for a NASCAR race on a given Sunday to draw more than 100,000 fans to the track. Each Hall of Fame member deserves a share of credit for the enduring popularity of stock car racing.
The vision of Bill France Sr. made NASCAR a reality. Bill France Jr. presided over its explosive growth. Junior Johnson was an innovator who also helped bring major title sponsorship to NASCAR's top series.
During his record-setting career, Richard Petty connected with race fans like no other driver before or since. Dale Earnhardt inspired intense emotions throughout NASCAR's fan base—both love and loathing—with his unrelenting aggressiveness on the racetrack.
BY RIED SPENCER SPORTINGNEWS
NASCAR HALL OF FAME:BILL FRANCE JR
If Bill France Sr. founded NASCAR and nurtured the organization during its infancy, his son, Bill France Jr., was a catalyst for the sport's explosive growth in the so-called "modern era."
France took the reins of the sanctioning body in 1972 on the retirement of his father.
"I think what gets overlooked sometimes are two key components that we're used to today, that Bill Jr. saw and inspired," said Mike Helton, who succeeded France as NASCAR president in 2000. "That's TV coverage and sponsorships.
"On the TV coverage piece, I think Bill recognized that was the next level for us in the mid-'70s to grow in exposure and coverage. It was critical. It timed in fairly nicely with the advent of cable. Bill was convinced that we were good content for the cable channels, and it turned out to be that way, and it grew from there.
"I think Bill was very much a leader in the sponsorship. When Bill Sr. turned the reins over to Bill Jr., it was a matter of growing the sport. The other piece was the series sponsorship that would help fund the teams and the events and the promoters that led to car sponsorships that continued to help elevate the sport. The quality of racing got better with the revenue that came from all those elements."
It was under France 's leadership that NASCAR launched promotional programs that captured the imagination of a national audience. Foremost among them, perhaps, was the Winston Million, which offered a $1 million prize to a driver who could win three of four of the sport's designated marquee races.
On Sunday, Bill France Jr., who died in 2007, will take his right place beside his father in NASCAR's Hall of Fame as member of the inaugural class.
The Bill France Jr. file
* Led NASCAR from 1972 to 2000
* Presided over NASCAR's explosive growth
* Took NASCAR national and international
By Ried Spencer Sportibgnews
France took the reins of the sanctioning body in 1972 on the retirement of his father.
"I think what gets overlooked sometimes are two key components that we're used to today, that Bill Jr. saw and inspired," said Mike Helton, who succeeded France as NASCAR president in 2000. "That's TV coverage and sponsorships.
"On the TV coverage piece, I think Bill recognized that was the next level for us in the mid-'70s to grow in exposure and coverage. It was critical. It timed in fairly nicely with the advent of cable. Bill was convinced that we were good content for the cable channels, and it turned out to be that way, and it grew from there.
"I think Bill was very much a leader in the sponsorship. When Bill Sr. turned the reins over to Bill Jr., it was a matter of growing the sport. The other piece was the series sponsorship that would help fund the teams and the events and the promoters that led to car sponsorships that continued to help elevate the sport. The quality of racing got better with the revenue that came from all those elements."
It was under France 's leadership that NASCAR launched promotional programs that captured the imagination of a national audience. Foremost among them, perhaps, was the Winston Million, which offered a $1 million prize to a driver who could win three of four of the sport's designated marquee races.
On Sunday, Bill France Jr., who died in 2007, will take his right place beside his father in NASCAR's Hall of Fame as member of the inaugural class.
The Bill France Jr. file
* Led NASCAR from 1972 to 2000
* Presided over NASCAR's explosive growth
* Took NASCAR national and international
By Ried Spencer Sportibgnews
NASCAR HALL OF FAME :BILL FRANCE SR.
The vision of "Big Bill" France began its journey toward the enormous reality of NASCAR racing today at a now-famous meeting with selected drivers, car owners and racing officials at Daytona Beach 's Streamline Hotel on Dec. 14, 1947.
Two months later, the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing was incorporated, with France as its president. Less than two years later, NASCAR held the first sanctioned race in its Strictly Stock division at Charlotte Speedway, a .75-mile dirt track on the outskirts of town.
Though France 's rule was autocratic, it brought a sorely needed organization to a sport that was haphazard and chaotic in its infancy. The formation of NASCAR brought standardized rules, a points fund and a legitimate national championship. Drivers were paid what they earned on the racetrack—as meager as it might have been at the time—where, previously, a promoter skipping out on his obligations was not uncommon.
In 1957, France founded International Speedway Corporation and oversaw the construction of Daytona International Speedway, which annually hosts NASCAR's premier event, the Daytona 500. Today, ISC owns 12 racetracks that together host 19 of 36 Sprint Cup points events.
"He was the father—if it hadn't been for him, this wouldn't be," veteran promoter H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler said recently at Darlington . "It would have been something else, but in what form? Who knows? But there would have been 100 times more chaos than there has been."
France presided over NASCAR's early years, and there were growing pains. Well-documented is France 's propensity to carry a gun to situations where his rules might be questioned, but in those days, an iron will and an iron fist were what was required.
France had both.
The Bill France Sr. file
* Leader behind founding of NASCAR in 1947
* Ruled NASCAR from its inception through 1971
* Created ISC, which today hosts 19 Cup races, and built superspeedways in Daytona Beach , Fla. , and Talladega , Ala.
By Reid Spencer Sporttingnews
Two months later, the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing was incorporated, with France as its president. Less than two years later, NASCAR held the first sanctioned race in its Strictly Stock division at Charlotte Speedway, a .75-mile dirt track on the outskirts of town.
Though France 's rule was autocratic, it brought a sorely needed organization to a sport that was haphazard and chaotic in its infancy. The formation of NASCAR brought standardized rules, a points fund and a legitimate national championship. Drivers were paid what they earned on the racetrack—as meager as it might have been at the time—where, previously, a promoter skipping out on his obligations was not uncommon.
In 1957, France founded International Speedway Corporation and oversaw the construction of Daytona International Speedway, which annually hosts NASCAR's premier event, the Daytona 500. Today, ISC owns 12 racetracks that together host 19 of 36 Sprint Cup points events.
"He was the father—if it hadn't been for him, this wouldn't be," veteran promoter H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler said recently at Darlington . "It would have been something else, but in what form? Who knows? But there would have been 100 times more chaos than there has been."
France presided over NASCAR's early years, and there were growing pains. Well-documented is France 's propensity to carry a gun to situations where his rules might be questioned, but in those days, an iron will and an iron fist were what was required.
France had both.
The Bill France Sr. file
* Leader behind founding of NASCAR in 1947
* Ruled NASCAR from its inception through 1971
* Created ISC, which today hosts 19 Cup races, and built superspeedways in Daytona Beach , Fla. , and Talladega , Ala.
By Reid Spencer Sporttingnews
NASCAR HALL OF FAME :RICHARD PETTY
Based on statistics alone, it's not a stretch to describe Richard Petty as the greatest driver who ever sat behind the wheel of a NASCAR stock car.
Petty's record 200 Sprint Cup victories have proved every bit as unapproachable as Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak—perhaps more so. His seven championships are matched only by Dale Earnhardt, a fellow member of the inaugural class in NASCAR's Hall of Fame.
Petty's 1967 season was more than a career for most other drivers. He won 27 of the 48 races he entered and posted top-five finishes in 11 others. That championship season, which also included 18 poles, featured a magical stretch late in the year that no other driver has come close to equaling.
An Aug. 12 win at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem , N.C. , started a streak of 10 straight victories that would end with a victory Oct. 1 at North Wilkesboro . The 10 wins came on 10 different racetracks and included a victory in the 1967 Southern 500.
To his son, Kyle Petty, a winner of eight Cup races, the statistics weren't what earned Petty the enduring title of "King."
"It's always hard to define greatness," said Kyle Petty, now an analyst for Speed and TNT. "The skill set is one thing. But what made Richard Petty Richard Petty is that same intangible quality that made Arnold Palmer Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus Jack Nicklaus or Michael Jordan Michael Jordan.
"Out of 43 drivers, why do fans latch onto that one like The King or Earnhardt? That's a hard question. It's an intangible. I don't know what made Richard Petty Richard Petty except for his love of the sport and his desire to be the best, coupled with talent capable of making him the best during that time."
Though Petty hasn't raced since 1992, his connection to the sport remains unbroken. You'll find him at the racetrack most weekends as one of the principals of Richard Petty Motorsports, the product of a succession of mergers that created a four-car Cup operation.
Invariably, he will sign more autographs than anyone else in the garage, as he always had. Every signature is painstakingly legible.
As Kyle points out, any discussion of Richard Petty's legacy in NASCAR racing is incomplete without acknowledgement of his contribution to the growth of the sport and his unbreakable connection with its fans.
"The King's example always has been that he knows he was very fortunate and blessed to step across the line from being a fan to become a participant," Kyle Petty said. "We're all just fans of the sport, extremely blessed to be a participant, and that's what he always carried with him.
"He always looked at the fan as a reflection of himself, the guy who asks for the autograph and photo, the 8-year-old who wants to be a racecar driver. In the end, we're all just fans who get to play the sport we love, and he never lost sight of that."
The Petty file
* Record 7 Cup championships
* Record 200 Cup wins
* Record 123 Cup poles
* Record 268 Cup wins for Petty Enterprises
* NASCAR's greatest ambassador
By Reid Spencer Sportingnews
Petty's record 200 Sprint Cup victories have proved every bit as unapproachable as Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak—perhaps more so. His seven championships are matched only by Dale Earnhardt, a fellow member of the inaugural class in NASCAR's Hall of Fame.
Petty's 1967 season was more than a career for most other drivers. He won 27 of the 48 races he entered and posted top-five finishes in 11 others. That championship season, which also included 18 poles, featured a magical stretch late in the year that no other driver has come close to equaling.
An Aug. 12 win at Bowman-Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem , N.C. , started a streak of 10 straight victories that would end with a victory Oct. 1 at North Wilkesboro . The 10 wins came on 10 different racetracks and included a victory in the 1967 Southern 500.
To his son, Kyle Petty, a winner of eight Cup races, the statistics weren't what earned Petty the enduring title of "King."
"It's always hard to define greatness," said Kyle Petty, now an analyst for Speed and TNT. "The skill set is one thing. But what made Richard Petty Richard Petty is that same intangible quality that made Arnold Palmer Arnold Palmer or Jack Nicklaus Jack Nicklaus or Michael Jordan Michael Jordan.
"Out of 43 drivers, why do fans latch onto that one like The King or Earnhardt? That's a hard question. It's an intangible. I don't know what made Richard Petty Richard Petty except for his love of the sport and his desire to be the best, coupled with talent capable of making him the best during that time."
Though Petty hasn't raced since 1992, his connection to the sport remains unbroken. You'll find him at the racetrack most weekends as one of the principals of Richard Petty Motorsports, the product of a succession of mergers that created a four-car Cup operation.
Invariably, he will sign more autographs than anyone else in the garage, as he always had. Every signature is painstakingly legible.
As Kyle points out, any discussion of Richard Petty's legacy in NASCAR racing is incomplete without acknowledgement of his contribution to the growth of the sport and his unbreakable connection with its fans.
"The King's example always has been that he knows he was very fortunate and blessed to step across the line from being a fan to become a participant," Kyle Petty said. "We're all just fans of the sport, extremely blessed to be a participant, and that's what he always carried with him.
"He always looked at the fan as a reflection of himself, the guy who asks for the autograph and photo, the 8-year-old who wants to be a racecar driver. In the end, we're all just fans who get to play the sport we love, and he never lost sight of that."
The Petty file
* Record 7 Cup championships
* Record 200 Cup wins
* Record 123 Cup poles
* Record 268 Cup wins for Petty Enterprises
* NASCAR's greatest ambassador
By Reid Spencer Sportingnews
NASCAR HALL OF FAME :DALE EARNHARDT
No driver before or since has aroused unbridled passion in fans of NASCR racing the way Dale Earnhardt did.
If you were an Earnhardt fan, the Intimidator was your sole focus. Your emotions rose and fell with his changing fortunes on the racetrack.
If you weren't a fan, the depth of your outrage was boundless when he punted your favorite driver into the wall on the way to one of his 76 Sprint Cup victories.
There was no middle ground, and that's also the way it was with Earnhardt—a man who fashioned his legacy in racing with uncompromising determination and honesty.
"What Dale showed future generations of drivers is to be yourself, because he was always the same whether he was around friends, being interviewed or in the racecar," said FOX and Speed analyst Larry McReynolds, who enjoyed a stint as Earnhardt's crew chief at Richard Childress Racing in the late 1990s. "You never had to worry about whether Dale was being honest with you and coming clean.
"When he talked to the media, he wasn't worried about having his sunglasses on, his drink in hand. He took good care of his sponsors, but his interviews were genuine, whether in victory lane, coming out of the infield care center or just after he got flipped upside down with 11 to go in the Daytona 500. You knew Dale spoke from the heart."
Earnhardt's reputation as an aggressive, iron-willed and iron-headed driver is larger than life, but it shouldn't obscure the magnitude of his accomplishments in the sport.
His 76 wins rank seventh on the all-time list behind only Richard Petty (200), David Pearson (105), Darrell Waltrip (84), Bobby Allison (84), Cale Yarborough (83) and Jeff Gordon (82). What set Earnhardt apart, however, was his championship record.
Teamed with car owner and longtime friend Richard Childress, Earnhardt won his seventh Cup title in 1994—his fourth championship in five seasons—to tie Richard Petty for most all time. Only two other drivers, Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, have won as many as four titles.
Our memories of Earnhardt, however, are less a statistical review and more of an impressionistic landscape. Indelible images have endured beyond the last-lap crash that took Earnhardt's life in the 2001 Daytona 500.
McReynolds remembers the 1997 Daytona 500, where he watched in awe from the pit box as Earnhardt barrel-rolled down the backstretch and returned to his car from an ambulance after noting that the wrecked No. 3 Chevrolet was still drivable.
"I don't know of any other driver who would have been sitting in the ambulance, looking out the window at his mangled racecar and then all of a sudden realizing, 'That son-of-a-gun will still roll. That son-of-a-gun will still go.'" McReynolds said. "He hopped out of the ambulance and told the poor track worker to get the hell out of his car, climbed in and drove it to pit road. I don't know of another driver who would have done that, nor one that would do that today."
The Earnhardt file
* Record 7 Cup championships
* 76 Cup wins
* Record 10 Cup wins at Talladega
* Won 27 NASCAR races at Daytona
* NASCAR icon
By Reid Spencer Sporting news
If you were an Earnhardt fan, the Intimidator was your sole focus. Your emotions rose and fell with his changing fortunes on the racetrack.
If you weren't a fan, the depth of your outrage was boundless when he punted your favorite driver into the wall on the way to one of his 76 Sprint Cup victories.
There was no middle ground, and that's also the way it was with Earnhardt—a man who fashioned his legacy in racing with uncompromising determination and honesty.
"What Dale showed future generations of drivers is to be yourself, because he was always the same whether he was around friends, being interviewed or in the racecar," said FOX and Speed analyst Larry McReynolds, who enjoyed a stint as Earnhardt's crew chief at Richard Childress Racing in the late 1990s. "You never had to worry about whether Dale was being honest with you and coming clean.
"When he talked to the media, he wasn't worried about having his sunglasses on, his drink in hand. He took good care of his sponsors, but his interviews were genuine, whether in victory lane, coming out of the infield care center or just after he got flipped upside down with 11 to go in the Daytona 500. You knew Dale spoke from the heart."
Earnhardt's reputation as an aggressive, iron-willed and iron-headed driver is larger than life, but it shouldn't obscure the magnitude of his accomplishments in the sport.
His 76 wins rank seventh on the all-time list behind only Richard Petty (200), David Pearson (105), Darrell Waltrip (84), Bobby Allison (84), Cale Yarborough (83) and Jeff Gordon (82). What set Earnhardt apart, however, was his championship record.
Teamed with car owner and longtime friend Richard Childress, Earnhardt won his seventh Cup title in 1994—his fourth championship in five seasons—to tie Richard Petty for most all time. Only two other drivers, Gordon and Jimmie Johnson, have won as many as four titles.
Our memories of Earnhardt, however, are less a statistical review and more of an impressionistic landscape. Indelible images have endured beyond the last-lap crash that took Earnhardt's life in the 2001 Daytona 500.
McReynolds remembers the 1997 Daytona 500, where he watched in awe from the pit box as Earnhardt barrel-rolled down the backstretch and returned to his car from an ambulance after noting that the wrecked No. 3 Chevrolet was still drivable.
"I don't know of any other driver who would have been sitting in the ambulance, looking out the window at his mangled racecar and then all of a sudden realizing, 'That son-of-a-gun will still roll. That son-of-a-gun will still go.'" McReynolds said. "He hopped out of the ambulance and told the poor track worker to get the hell out of his car, climbed in and drove it to pit road. I don't know of another driver who would have done that, nor one that would do that today."
The Earnhardt file
* Record 7 Cup championships
* 76 Cup wins
* Record 10 Cup wins at Talladega
* Won 27 NASCAR races at Daytona
* NASCAR icon
By Reid Spencer Sporting news
NASCAR HALL OF FAME:JUNIOR JOHNSON
There's an amusing side to Junior Johnson, who's well known for his witty, self-deprecating sense of humor.
Don't let that fool you. The drivers who have spent time in Johnson's cars will tell you that there is no one more tenacious or committed to winning than the bootlegger-turned-racer from North Carolina 's Wilkes County .
Johnson is the living embodiment of NASCAR racing's ascension from a tightly contained regional sport for hardcore fans to a mainstream national and international phenomenon. During his 14-year career as a driver, he won 50 Cup races, a number that doubtless would have been higher, were it not for Johnson's propensity to destroy his equipment.
"Junior was one of the most aggressive drivers the sport ever has seen, and he probably blew up and had more DNFs while leading races than anyone in its history," said Jimmy Spencer, who notched his only two Cup victories while driving for Johnson in 1994.
"He defined 'checkers or wreckers.' But I think he learned from those mistakes and was able to pass those lessons on to drivers like me. You can't contend for the win if you're not around at the end. No one battles for the win from the back of a tow truck."
The lessons Johnson learned in the racecar became food for thought for a succession of drivers who left deep imprints on the sport. The list reads like a Who's Who of racing—and not just stock cars.
Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, LeeRoy Yarbrough, Neil Bonnett, Geoff Bodine, Terry Labonte, Bill Elliott, Sterling Marlin and Spencer were among those who ran for Johnson full time. The list of drivers who took at least one ride in a Johnson car includes NASCAR stars Bobby Isaac, Curtis Turner and David Pearson, as well as open-wheel legends A.J. Foyt, Gordon Johncock and Lloyd Ruby.
Yarborough and Waltrip each won three championships with Johnson, who had the well-deserved reputation for stretching NASCAR's rules to the limit—and sometimes breaking them.
"Junior was an innovator, and he would take the rule book and he would find out all the things it said you couldn't do, and he'd figure out all the things that you could do," Waltrip said.
Johnson's backwoods roots aside, it was through his instigation that NASCAR landed the title sponsorship deal that would ensure NASCAR's explosive growth for three decades. Johnson opened the dialogue between NASCAR and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, and that ultimately led to Winston's title sponsorship of the Cup series from 1971 through 2003.
Initially, Johnson used his mechanical aptitude to modify cars that could outrun revenue agents bent on shutting down his moonshine business. When Johnson began racing cars, that skill set translated to the racetrack.
Johnson will be inducted into NASCAR's Hall of Fame on Sunday. One of his old moonshine stills preceded him as an exhibit in the Hall and was on display on opening day, May 11.
As it should have been.
The Johnson file
* 50 Cup wins as a driver
* 132 Cup wins as an owner
* 6 Cup championships as an owner
* Legendary innovator; discovered practice of drafting
* Brought R.J. Reynolds Tobacco into NASCAR
By Reid Spencer Sportingnews
Don't let that fool you. The drivers who have spent time in Johnson's cars will tell you that there is no one more tenacious or committed to winning than the bootlegger-turned-racer from North Carolina 's Wilkes County .
Johnson is the living embodiment of NASCAR racing's ascension from a tightly contained regional sport for hardcore fans to a mainstream national and international phenomenon. During his 14-year career as a driver, he won 50 Cup races, a number that doubtless would have been higher, were it not for Johnson's propensity to destroy his equipment.
"Junior was one of the most aggressive drivers the sport ever has seen, and he probably blew up and had more DNFs while leading races than anyone in its history," said Jimmy Spencer, who notched his only two Cup victories while driving for Johnson in 1994.
"He defined 'checkers or wreckers.' But I think he learned from those mistakes and was able to pass those lessons on to drivers like me. You can't contend for the win if you're not around at the end. No one battles for the win from the back of a tow truck."
The lessons Johnson learned in the racecar became food for thought for a succession of drivers who left deep imprints on the sport. The list reads like a Who's Who of racing—and not just stock cars.
Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, LeeRoy Yarbrough, Neil Bonnett, Geoff Bodine, Terry Labonte, Bill Elliott, Sterling Marlin and Spencer were among those who ran for Johnson full time. The list of drivers who took at least one ride in a Johnson car includes NASCAR stars Bobby Isaac, Curtis Turner and David Pearson, as well as open-wheel legends A.J. Foyt, Gordon Johncock and Lloyd Ruby.
Yarborough and Waltrip each won three championships with Johnson, who had the well-deserved reputation for stretching NASCAR's rules to the limit—and sometimes breaking them.
"Junior was an innovator, and he would take the rule book and he would find out all the things it said you couldn't do, and he'd figure out all the things that you could do," Waltrip said.
Johnson's backwoods roots aside, it was through his instigation that NASCAR landed the title sponsorship deal that would ensure NASCAR's explosive growth for three decades. Johnson opened the dialogue between NASCAR and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, and that ultimately led to Winston's title sponsorship of the Cup series from 1971 through 2003.
Initially, Johnson used his mechanical aptitude to modify cars that could outrun revenue agents bent on shutting down his moonshine business. When Johnson began racing cars, that skill set translated to the racetrack.
Johnson will be inducted into NASCAR's Hall of Fame on Sunday. One of his old moonshine stills preceded him as an exhibit in the Hall and was on display on opening day, May 11.
As it should have been.
The Johnson file
* 50 Cup wins as a driver
* 132 Cup wins as an owner
* 6 Cup championships as an owner
* Legendary innovator; discovered practice of drafting
* Brought R.J. Reynolds Tobacco into NASCAR
By Reid Spencer Sportingnews
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Nascar Hall Of Fame Highlighting the Class of 2010:
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.
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.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Judge dismisses Mayfield lawsuit against NASCAR
Judge dismisses Mayfield lawsuit against NASCAR
Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(May 18, 2010)
CHARLOTTE—U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen made a surprise ruling Tuesday as he dismissed all claims by owner-driver Jeremy Mayfield in his lawsuit against NASCAR over a drug test in May 2009 that NASCAR said was positive for methamphetamines.
NASCAR filed a motion last November for Mullen to rule on the case based on the pleadings already submitted, and Mullen issued his ruling Tuesday afternoon in favor of NASCAR. There was no hearing on the motion.
“Plaintiffs (Mayfield) agreed to release Defendants from all claims arising under a negligence theory or otherwise; Plaintiffs thereby waived their right to pursue their claims for defamation, unfair and deceptive trade practices, breach of contract, and negligence,” Mullen wrote in his order. “Plaintiffs also failed to allege facts to support each of their claims. … Plaintiffs claims are hereby dismissed.”
Mullen’s ruling can be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Mayfield, who was indefinitely suspended from NASCAR on May 9, 2009, had sued NASCAR for breach of contract, discrimination and defamation in an attempt to get back on the track and for financial damages. He won an injunction to participate in NASCAR in July but never got back on track.
The injunction was later stayed pending appeal, and Mayfield eventually asked for the court to drop the injunction so the case could proceed more quickly toward trial. A trial was scheduled for September 2010 at the earliest.
Mayfield has denied using methamphetamines and contends the drug-test findings that prompted his suspension resulted from a combination of prescription drug Adderall, which is used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and over-the-counter Claritin-D allergy medicine. He also contended that NASCAR must follow guidelines that regulate federal agencies. NASCAR denies that Aegis Sciences Corp., which conducts the NASCAR drug-testing program, must follow those regulations.
Special to the Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
(May 18, 2010)
CHARLOTTE—U.S. District Court Judge Graham Mullen made a surprise ruling Tuesday as he dismissed all claims by owner-driver Jeremy Mayfield in his lawsuit against NASCAR over a drug test in May 2009 that NASCAR said was positive for methamphetamines.
NASCAR filed a motion last November for Mullen to rule on the case based on the pleadings already submitted, and Mullen issued his ruling Tuesday afternoon in favor of NASCAR. There was no hearing on the motion.
“Plaintiffs (Mayfield) agreed to release Defendants from all claims arising under a negligence theory or otherwise; Plaintiffs thereby waived their right to pursue their claims for defamation, unfair and deceptive trade practices, breach of contract, and negligence,” Mullen wrote in his order. “Plaintiffs also failed to allege facts to support each of their claims. … Plaintiffs claims are hereby dismissed.”
Mullen’s ruling can be appealed to the U.S. Court of Appeals.
Mayfield, who was indefinitely suspended from NASCAR on May 9, 2009, had sued NASCAR for breach of contract, discrimination and defamation in an attempt to get back on the track and for financial damages. He won an injunction to participate in NASCAR in July but never got back on track.
The injunction was later stayed pending appeal, and Mayfield eventually asked for the court to drop the injunction so the case could proceed more quickly toward trial. A trial was scheduled for September 2010 at the earliest.
Mayfield has denied using methamphetamines and contends the drug-test findings that prompted his suspension resulted from a combination of prescription drug Adderall, which is used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, and over-the-counter Claritin-D allergy medicine. He also contended that NASCAR must follow guidelines that regulate federal agencies. NASCAR denies that Aegis Sciences Corp., which conducts the NASCAR drug-testing program, must follow those regulations.
Monday, May 17, 2010
2010 Championship Celebrations Scheduled
Las Vegas And Miami Beach Will Again Host Championship Celebrations
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 17, 2010) – NASCAR has announced dates and sites for its 2010 season-ending championship celebrations.
Continuing a new tradition started last year, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will honor its champion at Wynn Las Vegas. This year, the awards ceremony is set for Friday, Dec. 3 and will feature the top 10 drivers in the final series standings. The event will culminate NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week in Las Vegas.
In addition, the combined awards banquet for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will again take place in South Florida at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. The date is Nov. 22, the Monday following Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony will again be accompanied by a number of successful ancillary events – the fan-friendly “Victory Lap,” a procession of the top 10 drivers in their race cars; the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards; the Pit Stop Tour; and the NASCAR Street Tour to include stock cars and mobile marketing units placed throughout Las Vegas. In addition, for the second-straight year, a designated number of fans will be able to attend the ceremony; details on the popular fan element will be announced later this year.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 17, 2010) – NASCAR has announced dates and sites for its 2010 season-ending championship celebrations.
Continuing a new tradition started last year, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series will honor its champion at Wynn Las Vegas. This year, the awards ceremony is set for Friday, Dec. 3 and will feature the top 10 drivers in the final series standings. The event will culminate NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion’s Week in Las Vegas.
In addition, the combined awards banquet for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will again take place in South Florida at the Loews Miami Beach Hotel. The date is Nov. 22, the Monday following Ford Championship Weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Awards Ceremony will again be accompanied by a number of successful ancillary events – the fan-friendly “Victory Lap,” a procession of the top 10 drivers in their race cars; the NASCAR NMPA Myers Brothers Awards; the Pit Stop Tour; and the NASCAR Street Tour to include stock cars and mobile marketing units placed throughout Las Vegas. In addition, for the second-straight year, a designated number of fans will be able to attend the ceremony; details on the popular fan element will be announced later this year.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
NASCAR Hall of Fame opens to broad acclaim
NASCAR Hall of Fame opens to broad acclaim
By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
CHARLOTTE , N.C. —Appropriately, it was the unmistakable roar of unmuffled stock car engines that signaled the opening Tuesday of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, a $195-million project that will bring race fans and their wallets to Charlotte .
After the politicians, the speeches, the thank-yous, the prayer and the national anthem, the two living members of the Hall's inaugural class of five inductees arrived on the plaza outside the 150,000-square-foot facility driving vintage cars—Petty his legendary 1974 Dodge Charger and Johnson a 1940 Ford with signage touting his new business—legal moonshine.
Petty pulled up first, just as a light rain began to intensify.
"We got in under the flag," quipped the King, a seven-time Sprint Cup champion and the winner of a record 200 events. "I got another one. I won another race."
Petty and Johnson will be inducted into the Hall on May 23, along with NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.; his son and successor as NASCAR chairman and CEO, Bill France Jr.; and seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt.
To Petty, the car he drove to the opening ceremony was emblematic of the progress NASCAR racing has made over the past few decades.
"I get in the car and I look around—and that's what I think the fans need to look at—how simple that car was inside," Petty said of the '74 Charger. "And then look at the cars and all the fancy things and safety features that are in the cars today.
"You probably don't pay that much attention until you look at one that didn't have any safety features. Then you realize what NASCAR's been able to accomplish over the years in making things safer."
If the Petty-blue Dodge is a microcosm of NASCAR history, the Hall itself is replete with it. Far more than merely a car museum, the Hall offers visitors a high-tech, interactive experience.
"Today, I was a fan," said Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, who served as honorary chair of the project. "I'm not even a car owner today. I'm a fan looking at some of the history. To walk through here and see cars that I watched race or drivers that I idolized, it's just special to me as a fan.
"I was kind of overwhelmed when I walked in this morning. I don't know what I expected, and I tried to stay away, because I didn't want to see it half-finished."
That's a sentiment shared by many who participated in the opening.
"I wanted to wait until today and walk in with our fans on the opening day," said NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France, who with sister Lesa France Kennedy represented their father and grandfather. "I'm glad I did that. It's a lot to take in. This is a neat day for NASCAR. It really is, and I'm pretty excited to be doing my little part with it.
"The finished product is fabulous, and we're pretty proud of what they accomplished. In the end, this city really goes and figures out the motorsports industry and the assets that are here, probably better than anyone else does."
Initial estimates project the Hall's economic impact at roughly $60 million annually to the Charlotte area, and that may prove conservative, if the Hall helps to draw additional convention business to the city.
"I think this is going to drive a lot of business to Charlotte from the standpoint of convention-goers," Hendrick said. "I think everybody's going to win. I think Charlotte 's going to win. I think the sport's going to win, and I think people that are new fans are going to be able to see history that they couldn't see anywhere else."
By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
CHARLOTTE , N.C. —Appropriately, it was the unmistakable roar of unmuffled stock car engines that signaled the opening Tuesday of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, a $195-million project that will bring race fans and their wallets to Charlotte .
After the politicians, the speeches, the thank-yous, the prayer and the national anthem, the two living members of the Hall's inaugural class of five inductees arrived on the plaza outside the 150,000-square-foot facility driving vintage cars—Petty his legendary 1974 Dodge Charger and Johnson a 1940 Ford with signage touting his new business—legal moonshine.
Petty pulled up first, just as a light rain began to intensify.
"We got in under the flag," quipped the King, a seven-time Sprint Cup champion and the winner of a record 200 events. "I got another one. I won another race."
Petty and Johnson will be inducted into the Hall on May 23, along with NASCAR founder Bill France Sr.; his son and successor as NASCAR chairman and CEO, Bill France Jr.; and seven-time Cup champion Dale Earnhardt.
To Petty, the car he drove to the opening ceremony was emblematic of the progress NASCAR racing has made over the past few decades.
"I get in the car and I look around—and that's what I think the fans need to look at—how simple that car was inside," Petty said of the '74 Charger. "And then look at the cars and all the fancy things and safety features that are in the cars today.
"You probably don't pay that much attention until you look at one that didn't have any safety features. Then you realize what NASCAR's been able to accomplish over the years in making things safer."
If the Petty-blue Dodge is a microcosm of NASCAR history, the Hall itself is replete with it. Far more than merely a car museum, the Hall offers visitors a high-tech, interactive experience.
"Today, I was a fan," said Hendrick Motorsports owner Rick Hendrick, who served as honorary chair of the project. "I'm not even a car owner today. I'm a fan looking at some of the history. To walk through here and see cars that I watched race or drivers that I idolized, it's just special to me as a fan.
"I was kind of overwhelmed when I walked in this morning. I don't know what I expected, and I tried to stay away, because I didn't want to see it half-finished."
That's a sentiment shared by many who participated in the opening.
"I wanted to wait until today and walk in with our fans on the opening day," said NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France, who with sister Lesa France Kennedy represented their father and grandfather. "I'm glad I did that. It's a lot to take in. This is a neat day for NASCAR. It really is, and I'm pretty excited to be doing my little part with it.
"The finished product is fabulous, and we're pretty proud of what they accomplished. In the end, this city really goes and figures out the motorsports industry and the assets that are here, probably better than anyone else does."
Initial estimates project the Hall's economic impact at roughly $60 million annually to the Charlotte area, and that may prove conservative, if the Hall helps to draw additional convention business to the city.
"I think this is going to drive a lot of business to Charlotte from the standpoint of convention-goers," Hendrick said. "I think everybody's going to win. I think Charlotte 's going to win. I think the sport's going to win, and I think people that are new fans are going to be able to see history that they couldn't see anywhere else."
Monday, May 10, 2010
NASCAR Hall of Fame opens Tuesday
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CHARLOTTE—The NASCAR Hall of Fame opens Tuesday, and the 150,000-square-foot facility should have no problem attracting people during the first year.
With a theater on the bottom floor featuring a 12-minute movie about NASCAR and then three floors of interactive exhibits, the Hall of Fame has set a single-day adult ticket price of $19.95. It is selling annual memberships with the hope that people will visit the facility in downtown Charlotte more than once.
And that’s the challenge—to make people want to come back.
The Hall of Fame will hold its grand opening on Tuesday and its first induction ceremony on May 23, when NASCAR founder Bill France Sr., former NASCAR chairman Bill France Jr. and drivers Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and Junior Johnson will be inducted.
Even with four floors, not everything the Hall of Fame has acquired will be on display when the doors open Tuesday.
“We’ll keep changing exhibits out,” Hall of Fame executive director Winston Kelley said. “Glory Road (which features cars through the years) will change every couple of years. … The artifacts will change out every three to four months. And we’ll have new (inductees) on an annual basis.”
Blake Davidson, NASCAR’s managing director for licensed products, called the Hall of Fame part entertainment attraction, part celebration of the sport and its stars and part museum.
“The NASCAR Hall of Fame has exceeded our vision for what it could be when we started the process,” Davidson said. “This is beyond any dream that we could have had. I’m as excited about the things that people aren’t going to see on Day 1 that we just don’t have room to put in the facility when it opens.”
The number of interactive displays is enough to keep fans occupied for the full eight hours the facility is open (10 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday, noon-6 p.m. Sunday). Among things visitors can do: watch videos about 20 of the greatest finishes in NASCAR history; rev an engine dyno; ride in a racing simulator (for an extra $5); and play trivia games. Customers can use a card that collects information from activities during their visit to track their progress throughout their visit.
There is a separate room just for kids and an area that goes through the entire mechanics of a car and how it is built. Another area describes how technical inspection is done (including video screens where patrons can decide which pieces are legal and illegal). On one floor, artifacts of the sport are arranged by decade and another area that highlights families and other historical moments.
“One of our objectives was to have something for everybody—whether you’re a diehard NASCAR fan, whether you’ve never been around the sport, whether you’re 5 years old or 85 years old,” Kelley said.
Included in the exhibits is a moonshine still built by Johnson, a former convicted moonshiner, later pardoned and then canonized in the movie “The Last American Hero,” based on an article by Tom Wolfe.
Johnson had given the Hall of Fame pieces of the still and then had to be called to help install it.
“He’s got a pipe wrench and a pair of Channellocks that were very well worn,” Kelley said. “He steps into the exhibit and starts connecting it and telling people what to do.”
There is a copy of the report on the accident that killed Dale Earnhardt in the 2001 Daytona 500, and there is an area of remembrance for those who have died.
“Our credibility and NASCAR’s credibility were on the line,” Kelley said. “We tried to include as much as we can (about death in sport).”
The exhibits in the induction area won’t be open until the induction ceremony May 23. It includes cars raced by Petty, Johnson and Earnhardt.
Each inductee will have a spire in the center of the room with their likeness and a video describing their accomplishments. At the bottom will be another likeness of the person where kids create an image to take home with them. The spires of the current class will be in the center, while the rest will line the outside of the room, which is shaped in an oval.
There is a ballroom and an office tower attached to the Hall of Fame, built by the City of Charlotte for $195 million.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
If any track deserves a second date, it’s Darlington
The Cool Down Lap: If any track deserves a second date, it’s Darlington
By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
DARLINGTON, S.C.—No matter what happens at Darlington, the Track Too Tough to Tame invariably becomes the Track That Leaves You Wanting More.
Ask any driver or crew chief in the Sprint Cup garage where they’d most like to watch a race from the grandstands, and it’s a dead heat between the Daytona 500 and Darlington. The same goes for the core fans of the sport.
The egg-shaped track in the middle of the South Carolina sandhills presents a unique set of variables and more action in 500 miles than you’re likely to see in five years at Pocono or Fontana. Nothing against those tracks—they just don’t produce the sort of always-on-the-edge racing that’s second nature to the Lady in Black.
Just ask driver Jeff Burton, who fought from 18th place to finish eighth in Saturday night’s Showtime Southern 500 after suffering pit-road penalty late in the race.
“It has a special meaning to me,” Burton said of the 1.366-mile track, which owes its asymmetrical shape to landowner Sherman Ramsey’s desire not to disturb a minnow pond at the west end of the property during the construction that began in 1949. “I think that the history of our sport is right here. The thought that someone would build this racetrack, the shape they built it, the size they built it at the time that they built it was pretty phenomenal.
“You go back and watch video. It’s narrow now, but it was really narrow then. You watch that old video, and it’s just really cool to be here. To me, it’s the most historic weekend of the year. That makes it special.”
In 2003, NASCAR took one of its most iconic races—the Southern 500 run on Labor Day weekend at Darlington—and turned it into a nondescript event at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Seven years later, it’s time for NASCAR to admit its mistake and restore Darlington to the stature its deserves as the sport’s oldest—and arguably most exciting—superspeedway.
Kansas Speedway is earmarked for a second Cup date, likely in 2011, as part of a casino development contract awarded to partners International Speedway Corporation, which operates 12 Cup tracks, and Penn National Gaming. Paving the way for the approval from the Kansas Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board was ISC’s promise to petition NASCAR for a second Kansas date.
The highest probability is that Auto Club Speedway will lose one of its two dates to Kansas. As NASCAR constructs its schedule for 2011 and beyond, however, the sanctioning body should consider returning a pivotal race to one of its most historic venues.
Since the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup debuted in 2004, the September race that finalized the field for NASCAR’s playoff has been held at Richmond. Nothing against the three-quarter-mile short track, and not to suggest that Richmond should lose a date—which it absolutely should not—but Darlington might be a better choice for that crucial race.
Jimmie Johnson’s wrecked car and Tony Stewart’s lack of speed notwithstanding, Saturday night’s race, capped by a heroic drive from Denny Hamlin, went a long way toward identifying the real wheel men in the series.
All of the top nine finishers currently are in the top 17 in the Cup standings, which means they’re either currently in the top 12 (Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Jeff Burton) or no more than 54 points out of 12th place (Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya).
In the 26th race of the season, each one of those drivers likely will be competing for a position in the Chase.
To have that happen at Darlington would be particularly compelling—especially if it’s the second trip of the year to the legendary track.
By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
DARLINGTON, S.C.—No matter what happens at Darlington, the Track Too Tough to Tame invariably becomes the Track That Leaves You Wanting More.
Ask any driver or crew chief in the Sprint Cup garage where they’d most like to watch a race from the grandstands, and it’s a dead heat between the Daytona 500 and Darlington. The same goes for the core fans of the sport.
The egg-shaped track in the middle of the South Carolina sandhills presents a unique set of variables and more action in 500 miles than you’re likely to see in five years at Pocono or Fontana. Nothing against those tracks—they just don’t produce the sort of always-on-the-edge racing that’s second nature to the Lady in Black.
Just ask driver Jeff Burton, who fought from 18th place to finish eighth in Saturday night’s Showtime Southern 500 after suffering pit-road penalty late in the race.
“It has a special meaning to me,” Burton said of the 1.366-mile track, which owes its asymmetrical shape to landowner Sherman Ramsey’s desire not to disturb a minnow pond at the west end of the property during the construction that began in 1949. “I think that the history of our sport is right here. The thought that someone would build this racetrack, the shape they built it, the size they built it at the time that they built it was pretty phenomenal.
“You go back and watch video. It’s narrow now, but it was really narrow then. You watch that old video, and it’s just really cool to be here. To me, it’s the most historic weekend of the year. That makes it special.”
In 2003, NASCAR took one of its most iconic races—the Southern 500 run on Labor Day weekend at Darlington—and turned it into a nondescript event at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Seven years later, it’s time for NASCAR to admit its mistake and restore Darlington to the stature its deserves as the sport’s oldest—and arguably most exciting—superspeedway.
Kansas Speedway is earmarked for a second Cup date, likely in 2011, as part of a casino development contract awarded to partners International Speedway Corporation, which operates 12 Cup tracks, and Penn National Gaming. Paving the way for the approval from the Kansas Lottery Gaming Facility Review Board was ISC’s promise to petition NASCAR for a second Kansas date.
The highest probability is that Auto Club Speedway will lose one of its two dates to Kansas. As NASCAR constructs its schedule for 2011 and beyond, however, the sanctioning body should consider returning a pivotal race to one of its most historic venues.
Since the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup debuted in 2004, the September race that finalized the field for NASCAR’s playoff has been held at Richmond. Nothing against the three-quarter-mile short track, and not to suggest that Richmond should lose a date—which it absolutely should not—but Darlington might be a better choice for that crucial race.
Jimmie Johnson’s wrecked car and Tony Stewart’s lack of speed notwithstanding, Saturday night’s race, capped by a heroic drive from Denny Hamlin, went a long way toward identifying the real wheel men in the series.
All of the top nine finishers currently are in the top 17 in the Cup standings, which means they’re either currently in the top 12 (Hamlin, Kurt Busch, Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Jeff Burton) or no more than 54 points out of 12th place (Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman and Juan Pablo Montoya).
In the 26th race of the season, each one of those drivers likely will be competing for a position in the Chase.
To have that happen at Darlington would be particularly compelling—especially if it’s the second trip of the year to the legendary track.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE RICHARD PETTY
Note: This is the fourth weekly release on the five inaugural inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, in Charlotte, N.C. The induction ceremony is scheduled for May 23. Bill France Sr., Bill France Sr., Junior Johnson, Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt are the inductees. This installment spotlights seven-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Richard Petty.)
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 6, 2010) – When it comes to assessing the career of Richard Petty, the proof is in the records. Petty holds so many, it still boggles the mind of many a fan, after all these years.
Granted, during much of the time when Petty competed, circumstances conspired to facilitate his dominance. There used to be far more races in a season ... and far less drivers capable of winning regularly. Those disclaimers aside, “The King” earned his crown in every way imaginable.
Consider his all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup marks:
· Seven championships (tie with Dale Earnhardt)
· 200 victories
· 123 poles
· Seven Daytona 500 victories
· 10 consecutive victories
· 555 top-five finishes
712 top 10s
· 1,185 starts
· 27 victories in one season, 1967
All of that happened during a career that spanned from 1958-92 and followed examples of excellence set by none other than Petty’s father, Lee. The father won three series championships himself in 1954, ’58 and ’59 – plus, triumphed in the inaugural Daytona 500 in ’59.
The son, rookie of the year in ’59, won his first championship in his sixth full-time season, 1964. But prior to that he already had quickly established himself as a champion-in-waiting. After capturing the top rookie honors he went on to finishing as series runner-up in 1960, ’62 and ’63.
Petty got his first win on Feb. 28, 1960 at the old Southern States Fairgrounds half-mile dirt track in Charlotte. He got his last win on July 4, 1984, in the Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway’s 2.5-mile high banks, with then-President Ronald Reagan in attendance.
In between, he became arguably the greatest driver in NASCAR history.
Also, he became inarguably NASCAR’s greatest ambassador, as legendary for signing autographs as he was for winning races. Always decked out in his signature cowboy hat and sunglasses, Richard Petty has never met a fan he didn’t like – and the feeling has been mutual, with each and every signature or greeting.
Still on the scene as the leader of Richard Petty Motorsports at the age of 72, the former champion now belongs to the fans more than ever – thanks to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
It feels good,” Petty said of his induction. “I felt like this was a race … you feel good finishing in the front five."
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 6, 2010) – When it comes to assessing the career of Richard Petty, the proof is in the records. Petty holds so many, it still boggles the mind of many a fan, after all these years.
Granted, during much of the time when Petty competed, circumstances conspired to facilitate his dominance. There used to be far more races in a season ... and far less drivers capable of winning regularly. Those disclaimers aside, “The King” earned his crown in every way imaginable.
Consider his all-time NASCAR Sprint Cup marks:
· Seven championships (tie with Dale Earnhardt)
· 200 victories
· 123 poles
· Seven Daytona 500 victories
· 10 consecutive victories
· 555 top-five finishes
712 top 10s
· 1,185 starts
· 27 victories in one season, 1967
All of that happened during a career that spanned from 1958-92 and followed examples of excellence set by none other than Petty’s father, Lee. The father won three series championships himself in 1954, ’58 and ’59 – plus, triumphed in the inaugural Daytona 500 in ’59.
The son, rookie of the year in ’59, won his first championship in his sixth full-time season, 1964. But prior to that he already had quickly established himself as a champion-in-waiting. After capturing the top rookie honors he went on to finishing as series runner-up in 1960, ’62 and ’63.
Petty got his first win on Feb. 28, 1960 at the old Southern States Fairgrounds half-mile dirt track in Charlotte. He got his last win on July 4, 1984, in the Firecracker 400 at Daytona International Speedway’s 2.5-mile high banks, with then-President Ronald Reagan in attendance.
In between, he became arguably the greatest driver in NASCAR history.
Also, he became inarguably NASCAR’s greatest ambassador, as legendary for signing autographs as he was for winning races. Always decked out in his signature cowboy hat and sunglasses, Richard Petty has never met a fan he didn’t like – and the feeling has been mutual, with each and every signature or greeting.
Still on the scene as the leader of Richard Petty Motorsports at the age of 72, the former champion now belongs to the fans more than ever – thanks to the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
It feels good,” Petty said of his induction. “I felt like this was a race … you feel good finishing in the front five."
Sunday, May 2, 2010
NASCAR TICKETS :TOLL FREE NUMBER FOR ALL RACES
NASCAR fans can now dial a single toll-free number to purchase tickets to any national series NASCAR event and the best racing in the world.
With the help of Convergys, a global leader in relationship management, fans can dial the official NASCAR directory at 1-866-GO-NASCAR (1-866-466-2722) for tickets and information to NASCAR national series events, including the NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
The toll-free number allows many NASCAR fans who attend multiple races easier access to upcoming event ticket options. Seeking to provide fans with a single point of contact for their ticket and information needs, NASCAR chose Convergys’ speech self-service solution for its ability to deliver a superior customer experience while reducing costs.
“NASCAR and the race tracks have always worked hard to give the fans the best possible experience, and now technology helps us do that even better,” said Paul Brooks, NASCAR senior vice president and president of NASCAR Media Group “Convergys understood what our fans wanted and offered a solution that made the ticket-purchasing process easier for them. Our global media assets will now promote 1-866-GO-NASCAR to fans worldwide. This partnership benefits the fans and that is our first priority.”
With the help of Convergys, a global leader in relationship management, fans can dial the official NASCAR directory at 1-866-GO-NASCAR (1-866-466-2722) for tickets and information to NASCAR national series events, including the NASCAR Sprint Cup, NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
The toll-free number allows many NASCAR fans who attend multiple races easier access to upcoming event ticket options. Seeking to provide fans with a single point of contact for their ticket and information needs, NASCAR chose Convergys’ speech self-service solution for its ability to deliver a superior customer experience while reducing costs.
“NASCAR and the race tracks have always worked hard to give the fans the best possible experience, and now technology helps us do that even better,” said Paul Brooks, NASCAR senior vice president and president of NASCAR Media Group “Convergys understood what our fans wanted and offered a solution that made the ticket-purchasing process easier for them. Our global media assets will now promote 1-866-GO-NASCAR to fans worldwide. This partnership benefits the fans and that is our first priority.”
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