Monday, May 2, 2011

The 25 nominees for the 2012 NASCAR Hall of Fame class

The nominations for the 2012 class of the NASCAR Hall of Fame were unveiled Tuesday night and here they are in alphabetical order:

Buck Baker: First driver to win consecutive NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series championships (1956-57)

Red Byron: First NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion, in 1949

Richard Childress: 11-time car owner champion in NASCAR's three national series

Jerry Cook: Six-time NASCAR Modified champion

H. Clay Earles: Founder of Martinsville Speedway

Richie Evans: Nine-time NASCAR Modified champion

Tim Flock: Two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion

Rick Hendrick: 13-time car owner champion in NASCAR's three national series

Jack Ingram: Two-time NASCAR Busch (now Nationwide) Series champion

Dale Inman: Eight-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series championship crew chief

Bobby Isaac: 1970 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion

Fred Lorenzen: 26 wins and winner of the Daytona 500 and World 600

Cotton Owens: Driver-owner, won 1966 owner championship with David Pearson

Raymond Parks: NASCAR's first champion car owner

Benny Parsons: 1973 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series� champion

Les Richter: Former NASCAR executive; former president of Riverside International Raceway

Fireball Roberts: Won 33 NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series races, including the 1962 Daytona 500

T. Wayne Robertson: Helped raise NASCAR popularity as R.J. Reynolds Senior VP

Herb Thomas: First two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion, 1951, '53

Curtis Turner: Early personality, called the "Babe Ruth of stock car racing"

Darrell Waltrip: 84 wins and three NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series� championships

Joe Weatherly: Two-time NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series champion

Glen Wood: As driver, laid foundation for Wood Brothers' future team success

Leonard Wood: Part-owner and former crew chief for Wood Brothers, revolutionized pit stops

Cale Yarborough: Three consecutive NASCAR premier (now Sprint Cup) series titles, 1976-78

At this point, it seems that Darrell Waltrip and Cale Yarborough are locks, right? But their chances seemed pretty good last year and they were left out while Bobby Allison, a driver with a very similar resumé, was inducted. And with Childress, Hendrick and Leonard Wood on the list, that's three current Sprint Cup car owners. Which one of them gets in first?

If you're wondering about the 2011 class – Alison, Ned Jarrett, Bud Moore, David Pearson, Lee Petty – it hasn't been inducted yet. The 2011 class will be inducted on May 23, while the 2012 induction ceremony has been moved to January.

Who do you think should be part of the next class of NASCAR's Hall of Fame? My instant reaction prediction is Baker, Inman, Roberts, Waltrip and Yarborough. But I was one of the ones that thought DW would be going in this year. Drop us a line in the comments with your picks.

Emmanuelle Vaugier Sarah Silverman Larissa Meek Gina Carano Sanaa Lathan

No comments:

Post a Comment