Who will get voted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame?
Before tuning in this afternoon to find out (4 p.m. ET LIVE on SPEED and FOXSports.com), FOXSports.com and SPEED.com's NASCAR writers offer who they would pick if they had a vote, along with the reasoning behind their selections.
Note: All selections were put in alphabetical order
 Lee Spencer |
 Rea White |
 Jorge Mondaca |
 Bob Margolis |
 Tom Jensen |
Mike Hembree |
|
| Vote 1 | Dale Inman | Bobby Allison | Dale Inman | Bobby Allison | Raymond Parks | Bobby Allison |
| Vote 2 | David Pearson | Raymond Parks | David Pearson | David Pearson | David Pearson | David Pearson |
| Vote 3 | Darrell Waltrip | David Pearson | Lee Petty | Darrell Waltrip | Lee Petty | Lee Petty |
| Vote 4 | Glen Wood | Darrell Waltrip | Darrell Waltrip | Joe Weatherly | Darrell Waltrip | Darrell Waltrip |
| Vote 5 | Cale Yarborough | Cale Yarborough | Cale Yarborough | Cale Yarborough | Cale Yarborough | Cale Yarborough |
Lee Spencer, Senior NASCAR writer, FOXSports.com — With NASCAR’s late start in the Hall of Fame business, the second class of candidates could have been a simpler choice had 10 nominees been inducted in the inaugural year.
Since there’s no looking back, suffice it to say that David Pearson was sorely overlooked the first time around. His winning percentage of 18.29 is a number today’s star aspire to over the course of a career. With three titles and 105 victories — the second most at NASCAR’s highest level, it was a travesty that the Silver Fox will have to wait to this year to be honored.
That makes the four additional selections more difficult. However, Cale Yarborough’s ability to string three consecutive titles together and hold that record 30 years speaks volumes to his accomplishment. Yarborough created his own dynasty six years before Hendrick Motorsports entered a NASCAR race. Yarborough’s 83 wins are just shy of third and fourth on the all-time list record shared by Darrell Waltrip and Bobby Allison. Speaking of Waltrip, how can you argue with three championships, 84 wins and 59 poles in 809 starts. Waltrip entertained fans for three decades on the track, then carried his passion and enthusiasm for sport into the TV booth.
Unfortunately, there is not a separate category for founders, owners and crew chiefs but here are two that are certainly deserving. Dale Inman not only called the shots for the King Richard Petty, he led Terry Labonte to his first title as well. Inman holds the distinction of most wins (193) and championships (eight) earned by a crew chief — and he continues to giving back by working with young drivers today. My final selection is a bit biased given that the Wood Brothers have made me feel like family over the years. If there was a collective award for owners, it would go to the Woods because Glen, the family’s patriarch, would not have enjoyed a 57-year run in the sport without the help of his brothers. Glen won four races and 14 poles in 62 starts but turned over the driver’s reins to some of the top names in NASCAR and posted a remarkable 97 victories. With his brother Leonard, who is still sought after in the garage for advice, the Wood Brothers revolutionized the modern pit stop, introduced the concept of tire stagger to NASCAR, and remain the oldest active race team in the sport.
Rea White, NASCAR writer and editor, FOXSports.com — It’s a tough call again this year. Pearson should be a lock for the Hall as he carries the second-most wins in the sport and a reputation as one of the best to ever wheel a stock car. Raymond Parks was a key part of shaping NASCAR from the start and helped put it on the path to success. Cale Yarborough and Darrell Waltrip are three-time champions and Waltrip and Bobby Allison, also a series champion, are tied for Cup wins with 84 apiece.
Jorge A. Mondaca, Senior NASCAR editor, FOXSports.com — Definitely no easy task, but what separates those that I picked from the rest of the worthy candidates is championships at the highest levels of the sport. Pearson, who should be the closest thing to a lock today, Petty, Waltrip and Yarborough each have three NASCAR Cup championships -- the most of those nominated. Inman can say the same as crew chief. Yes, wins are important, but in sports it's all about championships.
Bob Margolis, NASCAR writer, FOXSports.com — As a NASCAR Cup champion (1983), the winner of 84 races, a three-time Daytona 500 winner (1978, 82, 88) and an IROC champion (1980), Allison was able to enjoy all the best the sport had to offer. He unfortunately had to experience the other side, as well. After nearly losing his own life to the sport in a horrific crash in 1988, Allison recovered only to suffer the worst losses possible, sons Clifford and Davey. Perhaps no current Hall of Fame nominee deserves his place in the Hall more than this member of the Alabama Gang.
The Yarborough name is synonymous with stock car racing and winning. With a resume a mile long that includes three consecutive NASCAR Cup titles, four Daytona 500 victories, 83 race wins and a starring role in the legendary 1979 Daytona 500 infield battle with Donnie Allison that changed the sport forever, Yarborough’s selection to the 2011 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame is an absolute no-brainer.
Despite having only one Daytona 500 win on his resume, Pearson’s three Grand National titles and 105 victories put him in a class of his own. His tough demeanor and aggressive driving style was the ideal compliment to his contemporary, Richard Petty. Together, they pushed each other to greatness. You can’t have Richard Petty in the Hall of Fame without having David Pearson alongside him.
A two-time Grand National champion, as well as a three-time American Motorcycle Association titlist, Weatherly is truly one of motorsports’ early legends. He may best be remembered for his love of practical jokes, his excessive partying and his often times outrageous behavior, earning him the title “The Clown Prince of Racing.” All of which makes it easy to forget about his incredible talent. Often finding himself behind the wheel of a stock car not worthy of his ability, his death while racing led to the use of mandatory window nets for safety. His sacrifice alone makes this Virginia native worthy of entry into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Waltrip’s “take no prisoners” attitude and often sharp-tongued criticism of NASCAR became the model for many of today’s Sprint Cup drivers and for that he may be remembered more than for his 84 wins, three championships (1981, 82 and 85) and Daytona 500 (1989) victory. Waltrip’s contributions to the sport after he retired, as a both a respected spokesperson and television commentator have continued to shape the sport.
Tom Jensen, editor in chief, SPEED.com — Pearson, Yarborough, Petty and Waltrip are the only four three-time champions in what is now known as the Sprint Cup Series. Based on championships alone, they deserve inclusion. Of the four, though, Pearson is the only absolute slam dunk. Parks was around at the very beginning, one of the key individuals who shaped the early years of NASCAR and a guy who brought professionalism to the role of team owner.
Mike Hembree, NASCAR writer and editor, SPEED.com — Pearson is the sport's second winningest driver and, in the view of many, its best ever. Case closed. He gets in easily. Allison was a thorn in the side to all the other greats of his era, he was super-competitive, mechanically smart and a tough pass on the track. No one was more determined. Waltrip was a rebel with a cause, Waltrip broke into NASCAR in the mid-1970s with an upset-the-apple-cart attitude. He challenged veterans both on track and off and didn't really care whose feathers he ruffled. And he won. Big. No driver has ever topped Yarborough on the toughness scale. He manhandled cars to victory and was a ferocious competitor in tense, last-lap confrontations. He was the first to win three straight championships. And Petty was the founder and architect of the racing giant that became Petty Enterprises, but his driving career was superb, too. Those who raced against him say he was among the hardest to pass in his era. He won 54 times, providing evidence of that fact.
