A few notes about the NASCAR hall of fame’s fifth class, which was announced Wednesday night in Charlotte and will be inducted in January 2014:
The five elected, in order of percentage of votes received from the panel: Tim Flock (76 percent), Maurice Petty (67 percent), Dale Jarrett (56 percent), Jack Ingram (53 percent) and Fireball Roberts (51 percent).
The next three top vote getters (and thus some of the favorites for the Class of 2016) were Jerry Cook, Joe Weatherly and Wendell Scott.
It’s nice to see that Scott, who was the closest thing NASCAR had to Jackie Robinson, finished in the top eight this year and thus will be considered one of the favorites to make the Class of 2015.
NASCAR didn’t announce how anyone else finished, but by the information it did release it is clear that racetrack owner Bruton Smith was not among the top eight.
There are 54 voting members of the panel. I am not one of them. A 55th vote is tabulated from all the combined votes of the NASCAR fans.
The fans and I each had two of our favorites get in and three that did not. I wrote a column recently advocating Flock and Roberts (both of whom made it) but also Scott, Curtis Turner and Weatherly. Turner was the only one of my top five not to finish in at least the top eight.
The fans voted for Richard Childress, Rick Hendrick, Jarrett, Benny Parsons and Roberts (Jarrett and Roberts made it).
One other interesting note: voting can vary widely from year to year. Roberts actually tied for fifth last year before losing on an overtime tiebreaking vote to Buck Baker, which made people think he was a shoo-in to be among the top one or two vote-getters this year. Instead, he almost missed it again, squeaking in at No.5.
We're moving!
9 years ago
Posts
6 comments:
THIS HALL OF FAME IS A SHAM, FIREBALL SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE FIRST OR SECOND CLASS. JOE WEATHERLY AND BOBBY ISAAC SHOULD BE IN ALSO. THIS IS JUST A PERSONALITY CONTEST. THE PEOPLE WHO VOTE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF RACING. THE TRUE 50 YEAR FANS DO.
NO DISREPECT TO THE ONES WHO HAVE ALREADY BEEN VOTED IN, BUT FOR SOME OF THEM IT WAS NOT THIER TIME YET.
THE HALL OF FAME HAS BEEN A DISASTER FROM DAY ONE. THE TRUE FANS DON'T NEED ANYONE TO TELL US
WHO THE GREATS ARE.
OH YEAH! BRUTON GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO LAS VEGAS, JUDGING BY THE DECLINING ATTENDANCE AT SATURDAY'S ALL-STAR RACE YOU NEED TO MOVE THAT TOO!
I don't think Team owners (Childress, Hendrick, etc.), or any one else should be considered for the HoF if they remain ACTIVE participants in the sport and are still building their legacy. DW or Rusty as drivers aren't an issue because they're no longer behind the wheel and being a commentator is a totally separate career.
For 2015, I'd like to see Wendell Scott, T.Wayne Robertson (without him and Winston, would the Cup series be as big as it is today!?!) and a couple of the legendary drivers like Lorenzen and Weatherly, and one of the newer drivers to maintain the interest of fans who have no care of the roots/history of the sport prior to their own memories.
I was very disappointed in this year’s inductees. I stand by my votes and I agree that Tim Flock and Fireball Roberts were deserving of the HOF. I will also say Jack Ingram, the Iron Man, with his racing resume was also deserving in his particular realm of competition. I do not think DJ or Maurice Petty should have been inducted, yet. I’m not saying both did not contribute to the sport but come on, 21st in all time victories! I really thought the powers that be could make the HOF a place that racing fans could be proud of but obviously not. Come on people NASCAR started in 1949 and there WERE superstars before big time TV contracts. What about Turner, Freddy, Weatherly, Wendell Scott? All these guys should and deserve to go in ahead of DJ and Maurice. I guess when you are trying to “get rid of your redneck image” that’s the best place to start right Mike Helton? I have never been a Brian France fan and never will. He will continue to drive loyal race fans away, including myself. BUT I thought the voting for the HOF could be based on merits and not a popularity contest. Sadly I was wrong.
Why should Wendell Scott be in the HOF? Stats are not there. If you are doing it becasue he was the first African-American, then you might as well put the first woman in or Danica in for first to win a pole at Daytona or if she ever backs into a win. The HOF with it's "contribution" clause is making it PC
Somebody should do a new movie on Wendell Scott. I have heard stories on him from collectors as I searched for souvenirs of him. I have a few cars and couple of cards. Richard Pryor did not depict a good portrayal of the Legend. {How can anybody take Pryor seriously, I didn't even know the man was real} I will buy a ticket to the HOF to see Scott and my Hero Petty!....The Catman HOF 2004
I was still a little upset with DW getting in so soon but after all the whining he did of not getting in the year before I knew he would go in. He whined when he drove and it's still getting him places.
Post a Comment