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- NASCAR announced its first Hall of Fame Class in 2010 with a chance to establish a Mount Rushmore of the sport.
- To leave Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt and series founder Bill France Sr. out of the first hall class would have been close to heresy.
- Leaving out David Pearson—the sport’s second all-time winningest driver—was a tough pill to swallow for many NASCAR fans.
When NASCAR announced that the first class to be inducted in 2010 into its new Hall of Fame, located in Charlotte, N.C., would number five, speculation immediately began on which five individuals would have the unique honor of being in the group.
were considered to be locks. Richard Petty won seven championships and 200 races. Dale Earnhardt won seven championships and the hearts of millions of fans. And Bill France Sr. was the sport’s founder.
To leave Petty, Earnhardt and France out of the first hall class would have been something close to heresy.
That left the other two spots, and the possibilities were many. David Pearson, the sport’s second biggest winner with 105? Lee Petty, one of stock car racing’s pioneers? Cale Yarborough? Darrell Waltrip? Bobby Allison? Junior Johnson, a top driver and team owner? Bill France Jr., who took his father’s vision and stretched it across new landscapes?
The fourth and fifth honorees were Johnson and France Jr.
And Pearson, the second winningest driver (to this day) in NASCAR Cup history with 105 wins to go with three Cup Championships in an era dominated by Richard Petty, was left disappointed and to wait until the following year for his induction.
Johnson found success both as a driver (50 wins) and a team owner (six owner championships) and, perhaps as important, as a cultural figure representing the sport. One of his many sponsors over the years classified as an American icon. Johnson, who retained the persona of a country boy throughout this career, wasn’t too sure about that icon business, but there was no question he was one of stock car racing’s dominant figures across decades.
To many, France Jr. was the surprise choice in the first class. There is no question he was worthy of selection, but some thought several accomplished drivers were better fits for the first class.
France Jr. (he actually wasn’t a “junior” but was called that his entire life) took the sport his father had organized and turned it into a behemoth, expanding its Southeastern roots, attracting more notice from television and building support from Fortune 500 companies.
The first five hall members were selected from a list of 25 nominees. Voting was by NASCAR officials, industry representatives, track officials and news media members.
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