NASCAR Hall of Fame Inducts First Class

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Nearly two weeks after first opening its doors, the NASCAR Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte hosted more than 2,300 people - from overall-clad moonshiners to champion drivers to fans dressed in souvenir t-shirts and flip-flops - who came together Sunday afternoon to induct the Hall's first five members.

A Who's Who list of the sport's royalty gathered to celebrate Richard Petty's legend, Junior Johnson's iconic status and to honor the legacies of the late seven-time champion Dale Earnhardt and NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. and his son Bill France Jr., who guided NASCAR into its "modern era."

The accolades and primary focus were clearly on the five first-time inductees. It was, however, very clear this day was a celebration of the sport in general and the crucial role this inaugural class played in launching it beyond a regional pastime and into the American mainstream.

"Today, everybody was on the same team,'' said champion team owner Rick Hendrick, who delivered the induction speech for Bill France Jr.

"Today everybody is celebrating our sport. We all won today.''

As far as Hall of Fame inductions go, this one was eclectic, historic, and emotional.

Veteran driver Morgan Shepherd skidded down the red carpet in roller skates moments after the sport's winningest driver, "The King" Richard Petty, arrived pushing his dear wife Linda in a wheelchair -- one of her few public appearances since being diagnosed with cancer in January.



Share A handful of current drivers -- four-time champs Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, two-time champ Tony Stewart, Carl Edwards and Mark Martin -- were in the audience along with track presidents, corporate executives and hundreds of fans who bought tickets to be a part of this chapter in NASCAR history.

One of the most memorable points in the ceremony was when all four of Dale Earnhardt's children -- Kerry, Kelley, Dale Jr. and Taylor -- joined his widow Teresa on stage to accept the Hall honor on his behalf.

The two living inductees, Petty and Johnson wore their "Hall of Fame Blue" jackets, specially designed by the same manufacturer that makes the famed green jackets for winners of The Masters golf tournament. Each inductee also received a diamond and sapphire ring.

Bill France Sr., who founded NASCAR in 1948, was fittingly the first person inducted. Longtime family friend John Cassidy made the introductory speech recalling his first meeting with "Big Bill'' while he was working as an assistant to Robert F. Kennedy, then the U.S. Attorney General.

One day, Kennedy called Cassidy to warn him France was headed to his office with concerns about getting his new sport established when "the door opened up and there stood one of the biggest men I had every seen,'' Cassidy recalled of the 6-foot-5 France.

"He literally filled the doorway. ... and his very first words were, 'Son, we have a problem and Mr. Kennedy says you have the answer.' ''

Cassidy said France then pulled up a chair and "proceeded to educate me for several hours on the history of motorsports. ... He emphasized to me that there would come a day when NASCAR and stock car racing in the NASCAR tradition would become a nationally recognized sport.''

Yet, Cassidy said, he preferred not to think of France as a visionary, "but a man of action, someone who turns dreams into reality.''

After accepting the Hall of Fame ring on behalf of the family, France's son Jim France immediately presented it back to the Hall of Fame to be exhibited in the Hall museum.

"If Dad were here today, he would be proud but in a different way,'' Jim France said. "He would be proud mostly for NASCAR.

"He would be proud of this Hall of Fame, a commitment made to honor our past and to recognize the individuals who are responsible for making NASCAR what it is today.''

And so the tone of the day was set. This induction ceremony included many more stories than statistics even though this first class racked up wins and championships that will likely never be matched.

Tops among them all was Petty, dressed in his trademark feathered-cowboy hat and sunglasses, who received the first standing ovation of the afternoon. A 200-race winner, seven-time champion and seven-time Daytona 500 winner, Petty is the sport's iconic image.

His son Kyle acknowledged as much, but reminded the audience that among his father's greatest achievements was that of dad and teacher.

"My father taught the drivers and this sport how to win, but also how to lose.''

Then Kyle got the day's loudest laughter when he revealed a family secret.

"When I was growing up, our house was right next door to the race shop,'' Kyle said. "He would go to work at seven or eight in the morning and come home for lunch."

"You would hear him beating on the roof of that car because he was a fabricator and everybody worked on the car -- drivers, everybody.

"He would come home for lunch. ... then he would lay down in the middle of the living room floor, sleep till three or four in the afternoon and 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, seven championships just working half-days.

"That may be the greatest statistic of all time to me.''

Next up was a moving tribute to France Jr., who brought in the multi-million dollar series sponsor R.J. Reynolds in the early 1970s, then signed the sport's first multbillion-dollar network television deal in 2000. He was remembered for working his way up through the family business, selling snow cones at Daytona International Speedway and driving a bulldozer at Talladega Superspeedway.

His daughter, Lesa France Kennedy, accepted his ring along with her brother, current NASCAR Chairman Brian France reminding the audience, "Dad sure loved a good French meal, but his favorite place to eat was a hot dog stand at any of his NASCAR tracks."

Johnson, who won 50 races as a driver and six championships as a owner, was honored as much for his off-track exploits and his ample racing contributions. His 16-year-old son, Robert (right), inducted him into the Hall.

The famous subject of Tom Wolfe's "The Last American Hero" magazine article, Johnson is credited with establishing NASCAR's roots. He honed his driving skills transporting moonshine around the back woods of North Carolina's Wilkes County and even served prison time for it. But he redeemed himself by putting those talents to use behind the steering wheel and under the hood. He is considered one of NASCAR's greatest innovators - the driver who first mastered the technique of drafting.

Johnson actually donated a moonshine still to the Hall of Fame for exhibition, assuring the Hall's executive director while it is not "currently correctly operational," but that it does work.

The final inductee was Earnhardt, who was killed in an accident on the final lap of the 2001 Daytona 500.

His former team owner Richard Childress, received an overwhelming response and standing ovation when he took the stage to formally induct his best friend. It was the only time yells and cheers from fans in the audience interrupted the day's affairs.

His voice cracking with emotion, tears welling up in his eyes, Childress told stories of his friend, reminding everyone that NASCAR's "Intimidator" was also a loving family man who had worked hard for his success and had learned to enjoy it.

Every one in Earnhardt's family, including his youngest child, 21-year old Taylor Earnhardt, spoke about their time with him. They spoke of his compassion, his humor, his strength and his desire that his children have all that life could offer.

Then Teresa Earnhardt took the microphone again and offered up other's descriptions of him through the years as an American hero and NASCAR legend before closing out the ceremony with a final emotional offering, "I'd like to give you one more quote from Dale: 'I've had a great career and if it ended tomorrow, I'd have no regrets.'''

It was a fitting way to end an afternoon less scripted than emotion-charged, a day that offered tribute to NASCAR's inaugural Hall of Fame class while appreciating the past and anticipating the future.

"We have come so far and done so much and this Hall is just indicative of the growth of this sport and how it has changed through the years,'' said former driver Darrell Waltrip.

"It makes me so proud to be part of the NASCAR community.''