SPEED To Air NASCAR Media Group-Produced Biography Series

SPEED To Air NASCAR Media Group-Produced Biography Series

On 2012 Hall Of Fame Inductees

Series Debuts This Friday With Cale Yarborough and Dale Inman

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 6, 2011) – Emmy Award-winning NASCAR Media Group and SPEED announced today that a biography series of all five 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductees will air on SPEED beginning this Friday, Dec. 9 with back-to-back shows featuring Cale Yarborough at 8 p.m. ET and Dale Inman at 9 p.m. ET.

The remaining biographies, also produced by NASCAR Media Group, will air on SPEED throughout December and January 2012: Richie Evans on Friday, Dec. 16 at 8 p.m. ET; Darrell Waltrip on Friday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. ET and Glen Wood on Friday, Jan. 13 at 8 p.m. ET.

Each year five NASCAR legends are inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, beginning with the inaugural class of 2010. These five outstanding individuals make up the third class and will be officially enshrined at the third annual NASCAR Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Friday evening, Jan. 20 in the Charlotte Convention Center’s Crown Ballroom at the NASCAR Hall of Fame.

Further information on the NASCAR Hall of Fame and the 2012 induction ceremony can be found at www.nascarhall.com.

Cale Yarborough – Friday, Dec. 9, 8 p.m. ET

Cale Yarborough is known as one of the greatest drivers in NASCAR history, but his dynamic personality and stories both on and off the track make him a legend. Yarborough is one of the first – if not the first – to help transcend NASCAR into mainstream America with appearances in movies and music, including a role in the movie “Stroker Ace”. Thus, his biography is aptly narrated by Academy Award nominee and “Stroker Ace” co-star Burt Reynolds.

The biography will cover highlights of Yarborough’s career such as his three consecutive championships, 83 career wins, five Daytona 500 wins, his affiliation with legendary teams and owners like the Wood Brothers and Junior Johnson, as well as his famous “sling shot” move.

Dale Inman – Friday, Dec. 9, 9 p.m. ET

Cousin to Richard Petty, Inman served as The King’s crew chief for nearly his entire career and boasts more wins and more championships than any other mechanic in NASCAR history. He will be the first crew chief inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and his biography will explore a career filled with leadership and a personality that influenced a generation of NASCAR crew chiefs.

Inman’s biography will contain many interviews with some of the most influential people of NASCAR past and present including Richard Petty, Kyle Petty, crew chief for the No. 48 team Chad Knaus, crew chief for the No. 9 team Todd Parrott and NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton.

Richie Evans – Friday, Dec. 16, 8 p.m. ET

The story of Richie Evans is extremely compelling, as he is the first person inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame who never competed in NASCAR’s top series. A street racer from upstate New York, Evans became the king of modified racing, winning nine championships, 28 track championships and an estimated 475 races.

His biography explores how his racing career got started while living on a farm in New York and how his legendary orange No. 61 car – and the story behind the paint scheme – became one of the most iconic in NASCAR history. The heart of the show is driven through a fireside chat with Richie’s crew chief and members of his family.

Darrell Waltrip – Friday, Jan. 6, 8 p.m. ET

Dubbed “The Darrell Waltrip Story,” fans will be delighted, and perhaps not surprised, to see that Waltrip tells his own story – as only he can – of the road he traveled from a grassroots racer in Music City to a NASCAR icon.

Waltrip relives his memorable Daytona 500 victory in animated fashion, how he earned his “Jaws” reputation early in his career for how much he talked, and discusses why he decided to walk away from NASCAR after 29 years and 84 wins as a NASCAR Cup driver, as well as his dominance (three championships, 43 wins and 35 poles) with Junior Johnson in the 1980s.

Other interviews on Waltrip’s career include Junior Johnson, Rick Hendrick, Cale Yarborough, Richard Petty, former NASCAR driver and commentator Buddy Baker and co-founder of DiGard Motorsports Bill Gardner.

Glen Wood – Friday, Jan. 13, 8 p.m. ET

Under the shade of a 200-year-old beech tree on the Wood family property, Glen and his brothers built the No. 21 car into one of NASCAR’s most legendary rides. Led by his deep-rooted work ethic, Glen Wood and Wood Brothers Racing delivered illustrious wins spanning seven decades.

The entire story of Wood is told through unique roundtable discussions with members of his family including his brothers and children. Furthermore, the story encompasses the beech tree as a metaphor for his racing career, and depicts his success as an innovator and driver through never before seen photos and videos.