All current Hall of Famers. Category breakdowns is to where they fit best. Some guys are placed for what they were best known for since some fit in multiple categories:
Modern Drivers (1980 to current):
Dale Earnhardt (2010)
Darrell Waltrip (2012)
Rusty Wallace (2013)
Dale Jarrett (2014)
Bill Elliott (2015)
Terry Labonte (2016)
Mark Martin (2017)Thoughts: Wallace is in my opinion the weakest of those listed, I question why he was in before some other names here, but this is not a bad list by any means.
I'm not sure I would call Wallace the weakest, he DOES have a championship and more wins than Martin. (No disrespect to martin, I love the guy).
Historical Drivers (1949-1979):
Junior Johnson (2010)
Richard Petty (2010)
Bobby Allison (2011)
Ned Jarrett (2011)
David Pearson (2011)
Lee Petty (2011)
Cale Yabroough (2012)
Buck Baker (2013)
Herb Thomas (2013)
Tim Flock (2014)
Fireball Roberts (2014)
Fred Lorenzen (2015)
Wendell Scott (2015)
Joe Weatherly (2015)
Rex White (2015)
Bobby Isaac (2016)
Red Byron (2018)Thoughts:I can't agree with Byron and Scott being in on meritocratic terms, they're the weakest 2 drivers here. I understand both though. Scott's in because he's black (that line of thinking is why Danica will make it in some day, don't hate on me, I'm just being honest), and Byron because he's the first champ but he did little else of note in his career. I kind of take the point of view of "you need to do more than simply win a season championship to be in this".
I thought Lorenzen was the weak sister in this bunch, with the exception of the two listed below. Yes, his win number is pretty good, and his win percentage was pretty good, but a very short career and never a championship contending driver. He only ran 15 or more races three times. I have already spoke of my disagreement with the Scott pick. Byron was one hell of a racer, but the bulk of his work happened BEFORE there was a NASCAR. Worthy of recognition, but not a Hall of Famer in my opinion.
Car Owners:
Bud Moore (2011)
Glen Wood (2012)
Cotton Owens (2013)
Richard Childress (2017)
Rick Hendrick (2017)
Raymond Parks (2017)
Robert Yates (2018)Thoughts: Nothing against Bud Moore, but I don't understand him being the first car owner in at all, and I'd consider him a more borderline pick anyway. Reading up on Parks he's more understandable. This list though is incredibly random for who's been selected and when when looking at the history of car owners in the series. No issue with Childress or Hendrick, those are solid selections. But Roush should seriously be in before Yates, Penske should be there, Holmon-Moody, Carl Kiekhaefer...
I have no real beefs here, except that like his driver Byron, most of Parks success was BEFORE NASCAR. I think one of the things that drove Moore and Owens getting in when they did (which I am in total agreement with) was their advancing age and health concerns. Much better to take them a little out of order and get them in while they are still alive then wait until they are gone. While Owens didn't get to live to be inducted, at least he died knowing that he was so honored. I think that explains Robert yates going in when he did too. Roush is a little hard to understand. His success across all three series makes him a lock. I think Penske's lack of championships, and the more pressing need to get the more successful owners like Hendrick and Childress, and the old and sick ones in first has held him back. I expect both Penske and Roush to get the nod soon.
Track Owners and Promoters:
Bill France Sr. (2010)
Bill France Jr. (2010)
Bruton Smith (2016)
Curtis Turner (2016)Thoughts: Including Turner here because I consider building Charlotte a better accomplishment than anything in his Cup career. No issue with any of this.
Turner is a larger than life character, and was a great driver, but based on his record, I'm not really sure he is a Hall of Famer.
Broadcasters:
Benny Parsons (2017)
Ken Squier (2018)Thoughts: Like with Turner, including Benny here because I consider his time as a broadcaster a better accomplishment than his driving career, and yes, I know he was a champion. No issue with Benny or Squier. I think Bob Jenkins someday should garner serious consideration and be added here. Maybe Chris Economaki although he's probably more a stretch than Jenkins.
NASCAR "Less Visible Series":
Richie Evans (2012)
Jack Ingram (2014)
Jerry Cook (2016)
Ron Hornaday (2018)Thoughts: Evans and Cook, fine, it was a different form of the sport in a completely different era. Ingram and Hornaday however do not belong here. Hypothetical conversation with Hornaday:
Me: “Hi Ron, you once drove for A.J. Foyt in the Cup series, correct?”
Hornaday: “Yes, we weren’t successful, but it was the one full-time ride I ever had in the Cup series.”
Me: “Okay. You realize your car owner A.J. Foyt once won the Daytona 500 in 1972 – NASCAR’s most prestigious race – and was also recognized as one of NASCAR’s 50 Greatest Drivers back in 1998.”
Hornaday: “I’m aware of those accomplishments, yes.”
Me: “Who do you consider to have had a more successful career in NASCAR racing, yourself or A.J. Foyt?”
Hornaday: “Foyt.”
Me: “Who do you consider to have had a more famous career in NASCAR racing, yourself or A.J. Foyt?”
Hornaday: “Foyt.”
Me: "He also had a more successful career outside of NASCAR than you did."
Hornaday: "Goes without saying."
Me: “So A.J. was more successful and more famous in NASCAR than you were, and you are in the Hall of Fame and he is not.”
Hornaday: “…I was surprised too.”
The thing about Hornaday; If he isn't good enough to go into the Hall, then likely no regular Truck Series driver will EVER get into the Hall. As I have said repeatedly, I wish NASCAR would have segregated the categories, but for whatever reason they didn't so we can't penalize the best driver ever in his chosen class just because the people that run NASCAR have rocks in their head. Same goes for the other guys on this portion of the list.
Crew Chiefs and Engineers:
Dale Inman (2012)
Leonard Wood (2013)
Maurice Petty (2014)
Ray Evernham (2018)Thoughts: No issue with these guys, but like with the car owners, it's pretty random. There's a pattern here of NASCAR wanting to induct anyone that was with Petty Enterprises for a period of time, which, okay. Leonard Wood entirely understandable. Evernham? Is Kirk Shelmerdine going to be inducted someday for being Earnhardt's crew chief for a lot of his championships? Is Chad Knaus? What separates a Hall of Fame crew chief from one that's not other than getting lucky with who the car owner selected to be his driver?
I have no issue with ANYBODY mentioned here. Evernham, Shelmerdine, and Knaus are absolute first ballot HoF picks, not even disputable in my opinion. I find it kind of funny that for years we heard the only reason Gordon and Johnson won was because of their brilliant crew chiefs, but now we seem to be saying the crew chiefs only won because of the driver. ?????[/QUOTE]
He is just starting his third full season out of the car..... As for Junior, the only way I would consider him is because of his Busch Series titles. On his Cup record alone, no way. I certainly think Holman and Moody are worthy inductees. Again, they were some of the people that truly changed the sport. Kirk Shelmerdine should be a first ballot lock too. Four Cup titles as a crew chief speaks for itself. T Wayne Robertson should absolutely get in the Hall at some point. Probably no other single person with the exception of Bill France Sr. worked as hard to promote NASCAR as T. Wayne did.
