Fame Game: Contributions Trump Controversy For 2011 Class

Fame Game: Contributions Trump Controversy For 2011 Class



Guest Column by Cathy Elliott


At 4 p.m. ET on October 13, the NASCAR Hall of Fame began announcing the names of its 2011 inductees. They are Bobby Allison, Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, David Pearson and Lee Petty. "Clearly, the committee went with the pioneers and the anchors of the sport of NASCAR. Who can argue with that?" said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France after the announcement.
Apparently the answer to that question is, "A lot of people." At approximately 4:10 p.m. on October 13, the debate began over who DIDN'T make the cut.
Chief among the complaints was the so-called "snubbing" of legendary drivers Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough, who won three championships each.
A snub is a deliberate insult. Waltrip and Yarborough weren't snubbed; they were just put on the HOF delayed-entry program. In the immortal words of every Cubs fan on earth, wait 'til next year. And unlike the Cubs, in the case of Waltrip and Yarborough, most likely it will actually happen next year.
Always with the controversy. I wish it were possible to sigh in print. Choosing from this year's list of 25 nominees was like trying to choose between flavors of ice cream. You simply can't make a mistake ... but you also can't pick every flavor at once. You have to save some for next time. Can't we once, just once, focus on who was honored with admission to the HOF instead of worrying about who wasn't?
Yes, we can.
In a strange coincidence, some research I have been doing for a book project recently has involved combing through Columbia, S.C. newspapers from the early 1960s, looking for coverage of NASCAR in its fledgling days.
Just a couple weeks ago, I happened across a headline that read, "Petty a strong favorite this weekend." I barely blinked -- Richard Petty was the first big name in racing I ever recognized -- until I realized the story was written about Lee. Fast forward 15 or 20 years and the exact same headline was probably used repeatedly in reference to his son, but this goes to show you how quickly our perceptions can change.
Lee Petty was NASCAR's champion in 1954, 1958 and 1959. He finished in the Top 5 in NASCAR driver standings for 11 straight seasons. He won the first Daytona 500, but wouldn’t you know it, there was even controversy surrounding that.
Before electronic scoring was barely a twinkle in some techno-geek's eye, NASCAR relied on physical photographs and newsreels to determine the winners of close races. The margin of victory was so tight in that 1959 Daytona 500 that Petty wasn't named the winner until three days after the race.
The man I automatically, and mistakenly, assumed to be someone else entirely not only helped build the sport of NASCAR from the ground up, but also created a racing dynasty built on his family name. And now he has been selected to take his rightful place in the Hall of Fame.
Veteran car owner and crew chief Bud Moore is not only a great NASCAR figure, but a bona fide war hero to boot. As a mere teenager, he was part of the U.S. Allied Forces that stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day. He is a multiple Purple Heart and Bronze Star recipient.
Moore took NASCAR by storm, as well, with 63 wins, 43 poles and two Grand National championships to his credit. A partial list of the names that drove Moore's cars includes Joe Weatherly, Buddy Baker, Fireball Roberts, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt and fellow HOF inductees David Pearson and Bobby Allison.
"I felt like I had a fair chance at it," Moore said after the HOF announcement. Since the rest of us don't have to be quite so humble, it should be considered more than appropriate first to say God bless our troops, and second to request an extra blessing for the Hall of Fame voters who gave this patriot and racing legend the honor he is due.
Ned Jarrett is probably almost as well known for his personality and conduct off the racetrack as he is for his success on it. While competing -- and winning -- in the brashest of sports, he somehow maintained an innate courtliness, which earned him the nickname "Gentleman Ned."
The two-time NASCAR champion, who won 50 races during his career, transitioned from being one of the faces of the sport to being one of its voices when he joined the broadcasting world after his retirement. He self-deprecatingly commented he was glad to make it into the Hall of Fame while he was still around to enjoy the honor, but "even had I not been voted in ... I would have been OK with it, and I would have gone away from here proudly knowing I had a great deal of support."
Books could be -- and have already been -- written about the accomplishments of Bobby Allison.
Officially, the 1983 Cup Series champion is in the books as posting 84 wins, although he's always ready to argue that point, having won an additional race "unofficially" in 1971. Not being formally credited with that win must have fired Allison up a bit; he came back the following season to win 10 races, and finished another 12 in second place.
The generally gregarious Allison was uncharacteristically reticent after his name was announced as a HOF inductee, simply calling it "one of the greatest honors of my life."
Lots of people I know will take you to the mattresses debating the point that David Pearson is the greatest NASCAR driver of all time.
The "Silver Fox" is a three-time NASCAR champion whose career total of 105 victories is second only to Richard Petty’s 200 on the all-time win list. He missed being included in the HOF inaugural class last year by a single vote. Did he consider himself a shoo-in this time around?
"Nobody never knows 'til they call it right then," Pearson said.
That sounds a bit like waiting to find out if you're going to be allowed to pass through the pearly gates in racing’s field of dreams. Is this Heaven?
No, Mr. Pearson. It's the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Come on in.
It is impossible to successfully navigate the future without remembering, honoring and learning from the past.
The 2011 group of inductees has frequently been referred to as the "second class" of the NASCAR Hall of Fame. That phraseology is technically correct, but from an emotional standpoint, it is dead wrong.
These five guys are first class, all the way.