Nascar Hall Of Fame The First Five Inductees

The NASCAR Hall of Fame — dedicated to the “common man doing uncommon deeds” (NASCAR Hall of Fame commercial). From 25 nominees for the NASCAR Hall of Fame, only five were chosen as inaugural inductees for the opening on May 11, 2010. From Bobby Allison to Cale Yarborough, all 25 were worthy and they still have a chance to be inducted later. However, there are five names which stand out and all have had a huge part in creating NASCAR and making it what it is today. Those five are: Bill France Sr. (1909 -1992) While racing already existed when Bill France Sr. entered adulthood, there would be no NASCAR without him. Fleeing the Great Depression with only $ 75.00 in his pocket, Bill headed south from his birthplace of Washington DC with his family at age 25 in 1934. Who knows what would have happened if his car did not break down in Daytona, but that is where he decided to stay. With his background in auto mechanics and having entered several races in his birth area, he took to Daytona Beach, which at the time already was a hot spot for racers. Bill set up a car repair shop and started entering racing. He was very observant about how things were run disliked of some of the racing practices at the time (promoters often took off with the prize money when the race ended instead of paying the winning racers). In late 1947, he took matters into his own hands and organized a meeting of owners, drivers, and mechanics. This meeting led to the creation of NASCAR, the sanctioning body of stock car racing. The rest, as they say, is history and the sport of NASCAR grew under his tutelage. Bill France Jr. (1933 — 2007) With is dad playing such a big part in NASCAR, it is no wonder that Bill Jr. was interested in racing. He grew up helping at race tracks, sold concessions, and helped park cars during his early years. He helped build Daytona International Speedway. He served as vice president of NASCAR from 1966 to 1972. When his father retired, Bill Jr. became the head of NASCAR. While many doubted that he could follow in his dad’s footsteps as he lacked his Dad’s immense physical and overwhelming presence, he did not disappoint. He achieved success by bringing major sponsors on board and that is how the Winston Cup Series (now Sprint Cup Series) was born in 1973, which was formerly known as simply the Grand National series. Under Bill Jr.’s guidance, NASCAR went from a southern sport labeled for “rednecks” to a national phenomenon, Category:Home › Other • Pomegranates: A newly discovered superfood • Where did the joke why did the chicken cross the road come from and why is it funny? • Can mothers diagnosed with bipolar disorder make good parents? • Spiritual evolution of human consciousness • Tips for getting a college basketball scholarship • Living with Pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) • Caring for the caregiver • Technologys impact on society